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NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

CLASS  OF  1889 

C283.09 
W74d 


UNIVERSITY  Of  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


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f)  '■-■■■■■  '■  -^'..    •:y>cr.    //*■'■    >• 


ii-Df;!. 


For4 

Atft'iacC'TBToMIio  Veelry  of  St.  .TamesChurcU/Wilrainj.- 
tou.  licldon  :i"ioo'!iiy,  Deo.  fiib,  l'iG2.  tho  following  rcaola- 
tloDB  woro  oP  red  iriJ  nnaii'moa  ly  adopted  : 

JU-folvcdf  'fi.at  in  tbia  (SrHt  moeiing  ol  the  Vestry  held 
since  t'le  doLuii  ot  lie  Kcverea-l  Roi'ort- B.  Drane,  D.  D., 
th''ir  lute  horiored  and  br;Voved  I'.istor,  they  foel  criaatrain- 
ed,  btfore  attending  to  any  other  du'y,  tn  rocoid  Iheir  d^pp 
eecse  ol  tbo  .bt-i-fyvfcffiei.t  which  tbiij  acd  Lho  congreganon  I 
tliey  rcpr(;aent  Lave' Buaiai'jcd  i'i  ithe  removal  Irora  oimDg' 
ihcm  o(  that  cmin-jaily  ,70od  nnd.wiae,  ur.d  devout  and  ■  se-' 
!al  man.  .  .  <  ,*■ 

2.  J.'esolred,  That  h^vitijj  .kf^ot^n  him  locg  and  kaown' 
hlin  W'li,  they  ci'a  bear  iho  fuUt'st  and  mof^t  c^.rdial  tcati' 
niony  to  liin  reniMnab]';  cxcclk'l'ce  as  a  man,  na  a  citizen, 
a'tjd  above  all  nj  a  minister  oi  'CThrist.  That  ho  ^ao-Jadi- 
ciou'-i.  enprgotic,  l:i'  d,  Urm,  of  uniiriijj  zeal  and  imttiovuble 
fiieadfopliiCHU  iu  ihe  jier'ortriMJcc  of  hiS  hif^b  dotiea.  That 
h;i\ii.E  lived  amoDK  ns  for  n-nr  t.L,irty  vcara  he  was  regard- 
ed wilh  profound  respect  by  thp  "bole  comtunnity,  while 
iQ  bi.1  ovn  ooiigrt-'gidion  tin'  yoiicg;  reverenced  him  as  a 
fathet  ::ud  the  eld'^r  honored  ai.'d  Juved  liiin  an  a  wisy,  nyia- 
pathisii-^;  and  nCTeclioDatc  friend, 'and 'ail  Joolied  up  to  mm  , 
a3  a  niBn  ot  God,  Oi.ineKtly  «jiiJ  icifa-Uerinply  eeebiDg  to 
poiut  outto  them  and'to  lt'.a,5t  ,them'"6^  tlifc  WAy  to  a  beiier  | 
and  etcrnfil  vrorld.      '  *'      -.^     ';'",'-„  \ 

S.    Jicsolxed,  That  Ilia   death  .wa«  a'r)   ni-.tToK-ly'X'nt  noble 
flud  apprn|iriate  t^roiinaHiin  oMiI«!.  liffc;',JiG!  di^d  as  he  Used,  | 
at  the  p("i  a  uf  dilt.y.  L-L-:jf:lnr/  ;,.   ,   ,u;7.iTc-  vii-'j.'K-riiJriripa  and 
to  Bootbe  the   boitowh  <ii  the  Hiek.  and.Oi'^-  i:.fniGtPd  In  tlje 
latedreHiIiul    Foalilcrico   which    his   dQR'iInttd  thia  town,  j 
carryint;  iho  noGsoIatinDs  ol  'hcGonpcJ  Vi  Jiere  llicy  wc-re  uo 
mnch,  ucded  ;.ihe  Anj^el  of  '-cd   foond   him  at^lliff  prof.or  I 
work,  and    calleU  .him    inipiediatelyj  we  (iocbt' not,  to  a 
glorioDS  rewiird.  ,  :*^  '      *    .        / 

4.  Iio-olved,  That  a  cor>-oi'   these  resolations  be  s/ut  to 
"he  family  ol  Dr^.  i-'raue,  an<I  that  the  2)a\ly  Jbwrna'f  nowa- 
paper  of  thin  town,  ii.td  the  Churcli  InicllCgenC'jr  ot  H 
he  ilso  rcfincfilcd  to  pnbll-ih  them.  '  m.^-' 


Haleigh 


HISTOEICAL    NOTICES       '' 


ST.    JAMES^    PAHISR 


WILMINGTON,  NORTH  CAROLINA. 


REV.   R.    B.    DRANE. 


rHlLADELPllIA: 
n.  S.  H.  GEORGE,  26  S.  FIFTH  ST. 


1843. 


,«r««A>  s     >i      •    t*      »«««T33(S^  1  Xt    J 


4 


Kl.N'G    AND    BAlKUj    TRINTERS, 
No.  9  George  Street. 


THE     CONGREGATIOX 


ST.  JAMES'  PARISH,  WILMINGTON,  N.  C. 


V-'' 


rOLLOWINO    HISTOBICAL   NOTICES   OF   THEIR   PARISH     FROM   ITa    FOUNDA- 
TION  TO   THE   PRESENT   Tl.ME, 

ARE  ntSrECTFULLT  AND  AFFECTIONATELr  INSCniBEn 

BY  THEIR  FAITHFUL  AND  OBLIGED  FRIEND 

R.    B.    D. 

Rkctorv  OF  St.  James', 
^/.i.V  Isl,  1643. 


HISTORICAL    NOTICES. 


-i  , 


t  . 


'  [  lovu  Ihu  Chuivli,  Ih.'  Ii.ily  (;Uulcli, 
Tliat  o'er  our  Ufo  prcsiJcH, 
'I'lic  l]irlli,  Iho  bridal,  and  llio  eravc, 

And  many  an  liour  besides  1 
Be  .nine  tluougli  life  to  livo  in  her, 

And  wlinn  Uio  Jjord  shall  call, 
To  die  in  her,  the  spouse  of  (Christ, 
Tlic  mother  of  us  all." 

ClIUlSTlAN    liALL.lliS. 


The  earliest  distinct  infonnatioii  which  we  have  of 
this  Parish  carries  us  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  year 
1738.  Thirty  years  before  this,  the  religious  condition 
of  the  then  Province  of  North  Carolina  had  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  Venerable  Society  in  England  for  Pro- 
pagating the  Gospel  in  Foreign  I'urts,  and  several 
clergymen  had  been  sent  to  the  more  populous  precincts 
of  Roanoke  and  Albemarle.  The  whole  Province  and 
also  been  divided  into  twelve  parishes,  and  several  laws 
had  been  past  by  the  Colonial  Legislature  for  the  support 
of  religion.  But  it  was  not  until  the  period  above  named 
that  any  decisive  measures  were  taken  for  planting  the 
Church  here.  Wilmington,  (so  called  in  honour  of  the 
Duke  of  Wilmington,  but  previously  known  in  the 
history  of  the  Province  by  the  name  of  Newtown)  con- 
sisted at  that  time  of  only  a  few  houses,  which  had  been 
erected  on  the  banks  of  the  Cape  Fear,  for  the  purposes 
of  trade.  The  Parish  of  St.  James,  however,  embraced 
the  whole  of  New  Hanover  county,  and  the  clergyman, 
as  we  shall  see  hereafter,  waa  required  to  perform 
1* 


P 


€ 


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It 


6 

niissionaiy  duty  lo  llie  distance  of  many  miles  in  the 
ijitcrior  and  along  the  coast.  Tlie  first  minister  of  llie 
Episcopal  Church  who  is  known  lo  have  ofTiciated  here, 
was  the  Rev.  Ricliavd  Marsdcn.  We  know  but  liille  of 
this  gentleman,  or  of  the  relations  which  he  sustained  to 
the  Parish.  It  is  briefly  stated  in  the  Records  of  the 
Venerable  Society  for  1738,  "  That  Mr.  Marsden  had  a 
sctdemenl  in  the  Parish,"  (probably  a  plantation)  "  and 
being  a  clergy  man  of  the  Church  of  England,  had  officiated 
here  for  several  years."  At  the  earnest  solicitation  of 
some  of  the  Parishioners,  the  Venerable  Society  gave  Mr. 
Marsden  a  temporary  appointment  as  their  missionary  in 
St.  James,  but  before  he  became  fully  settled  under  the 
seal  of  their  authority  "  they  became  dissatisfied  with  his 
character  and  withdrew  the  appointment."  The  person 
appointed  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Marsden  was  tho  Rev. 
Mr,  Moir.  This  gentleman  had  previously  served  as  a 
missionary  in  South  Carolina,  and  brought  with  him 
strong  testimonials  tVom  the  commissary  and  other 
clergy  of  that  province  as  "  a  person  of  good  life  and 
learning" — a  character  which  he  fully  sustained  during 
a  ministry  often  years  in  the  service  of  this  Parisli. 

The  first  record  of  Mr.  Moir's  ministry  in  this  place, 
is  found  in  a  letter  of  his  to  the  Venerable  Society,  dated 
Wilmington,  October  29,  1740.  It  states  "  that  through 
God's  blessing  he  had  arrived  safe  at  his  mission  in  the 
month  of  May  preceding,  and  had  travelled  over  most  parts 
of  it,  which  extended  a  hundred  miles  along  the  coast — that 


he  found  the  inhabitants  so  scattered,  it  would  be  im- 
possible to  minister  to  them  as  he  could  wish — that  the 
generality  of  tho  people  were  very  ignorant,  but  seemed 
willing  to  be  instructed,  which  had  greatly  encouraged 
him  in  his  labours,  and  that  up  to  that  time  he  had 
baptized  two  hundred  and  ten  children  in  his  travels 
among  them." 

In  a  second  letter,  dated  Wilmington,  May  25,  174 1, 
Mr.  Moir  informed  the  Society  "that  he  had  twice 
travelled  over  the  country  between  the  Cape  Fear  and 
Neuse  rivers,  and  performed  the  duties  of  his  sacred 
office — praying,  preaching,  and  administering  the  Sacra- 
ments— that  since  his  last  report,  he  had  baptized  three 
hundred  and  thirteen  children  and  three  adults,  but  the 
number  of  communicants  was  very  small,  the  people 
being  ignorant  of  religion  to  the  last  degree," 

In  the  year  1742,  the  Venerable  Society  finding  il 
impossible  to  obtain  clergymen  for  both,  resolved  to 
unite  this  parish  with  that  of  St.  Philip's  in  Brunswick, 
and  the  two  places  continued  for  several  years  to  form 
one  mission  under  the  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moir.  The 
first  letter  of  the  missionary  after  this  change,  which  is 
dated  at  Brunswick,  1743,  states,  "  that  during  the  pre- 
ceding year  he  had  received  into  the  Church  by  baptism 
five  hundred  and  fifty-six  children,  besides  seven  adults, 
and  that  he  had  also  administered  the  Holy  Communion 
at  his  various  stations,  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  persons. 
In  the  same  letter,  by  way  of  showing  the  state  of  re- 


); 


Hi, 

i 


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ligion  ill  his  charge,  he  mciuions  "  thai  al  least  one 
huiulrcJ  of  ihe  chilJi'en  whom  he  had  bnplizcd  were 
between  live  and  seven  years  of  age."  In  the  same 
connexion  he  also  complains  of  "  the  difiicuUies  and  dis- 
couragements which  he  daily  met  with  in  the  discharge 
of  his  sacred  functions  :  sometimes  through  fatigue  and 
hazard  of  travelling,  and  al  others  through  the  malice 
and  perverseness  of  those  with  whom  we  had  to  do." 
He  concludes  his  letter,  however,  with  the  expression  of 
hts  determination  to  persevere  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  adding  the  charitable  hope,  "  that  God  would  in 
liis  own  good  tiine  turn  the  hearts  of  these  disobedient 
children  to  the  wisdom  of  the  just." 

In  the  following  year  (1744)  Mr.  Moir  again  writes  to 
the  Venerable  Society.  His  letter  states  "  that  during 
the  preceding  year  he  had  been  constantly  preaching  and 
ofliciating  at  his  stations,  and  that  he  had  baptized  two 
hundred  and  seventy  children,  and  four  adults  after  proper 
instruction.  In  the  same  letter  he  complains  that  his 
health  had  become  much  impaired  by  the  severity  of  his 
labours,  and  doubts  whether  he  shall  be  able  much 
longer  to  bear  the  hardships  of  his  mostdifficult  mission." 
The  next  notice  of  this  worthy  minister  is  found  in  the 
Venerable  Society's  abstract  for  1745.  It  is  there 
Slated  "  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Moir,  the  senior  missionary 
in  North  Carolina,  continues  very  diligent  in  his  laborious 
stations — preaching  publicly  and  from  house  to  house, 
repentance  towards  God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus 


Christ,  and  that  by  the  sacrament  of  baptism,  he  had 
admitted  into  the  Church  during  the  preceding  year,  four 
hundred  and  eighty  white,  and  twenty  negro  children, 
besides  several  adults." 

The  diligence  of  this  devoted  minister  in  this  place, 
and  the  surrounding  country,  secured  to  him  the  warm 
and  grateful  attachment  of  many  to  whom  he  ministered. 
As  an  evidence  of  their  gratitude  for  his  services,  the 
congregation  of  St.  James  forwarded  to  the  Venerable 
Society  about  this  time  a  letter  of  thanks,  from  which 
we  make  the  following  extract.  "  We  esteem  ourselves 
most  happy  under  the  pastoral  care  of  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Moir.  He  hath,  to  the  great  comfort  and  edification  of 
our  families,  in  these  dark  and  distant  regions  of  the 
world,  prosecuted  tho  duties  of  his  calling  with  the  utmost 
application  and  diligence;  adorned  his  character  with  an 
exemplary  life  and  conversation — showing  uncorrupt- 
ness,  gravity  and  sound  speech,  so  that  they  who  are  of 
the  contrary  part  have  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  him." 

The  time,  however,  had  now  come,  when  the  people 
of  the  parish  were  to  part  with  their  faithful  shepherd. 
In  a  letter,  under  date  of  Wilmington,  October  9,  1747, 
— after  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  a  small  gratuity  of 
£10  from  his  friends  in  England,  and  stating  his  official 
acts  for  the  year,  which  included  the  baptism  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-seven  children,  besides  several 
adults — Mr.  M.  informs  the  Society  "  that  the  impaired 
condition  of  his  health  would  no  longer  permit  him  to  re- 


.r. 


4 

-4 


li 


111 


10 
main  on  the  Cape  Fcnr,  and  that  he  should  either  go  to  St. 
George's  Parish,  in  Edgecombe  county,  or  avail  himself 
01-  die  earliest  opportunity  of  a  passage  to  London.' 
We  are  unable  to  ascertain  widi  certainty  which  allerna- 
tivo  was  finally  adopted.  Tlic  more  probable  conjecture 
is,  that  he  remained  in  the  province.  His  name  is  found 
on  the  Society's  list  of  missionaries  in  North  Carolina 
as  late  as  the  year  1705,  and  his  location  is  St.  Georges', 
Edgecombe,  where,  it  is  probable  he  died. 

Of  such  a  man  it  is  natural  to  regret  that  more  cannot 
now  be  known.  Though  fitted  by  his  talents  and  edu- 
cation  10  shine  with  distinction  in  his  native  land,  he 
f^eems  to  have  given  himself  literally  to  the  service  of 
llie  Churcli  in  this  distant  country;  and  had  he  accom- 
plislied  no  more  than  what  we  have  gleaned  in  the  fore- 
going pages  from  the  imperfect  chronicles  of  the  past, 
i.e  would  have  left  behind  him  a  reputation  well  worthy 
'he  minister  of  Ilm,  "who  gave  his  life  a  ransom  for 
many." 

Vp  to  this  time  (17.17)  the  congregation  in  this  town 
iiad  used  the  county  court-house  as  a  house  of  public 
worship—having  as  yet  no  more  suitable  place  in  which 
ll>eir  clergyman  could  officiate.  Among  those  who  co,>- 
tributed  to  supply  this  want,  the  name  of  Michael  Hig- 
gins  deserves  a  grateful  remembrance.  This  person  wL 
a  faithful  and  well-tried  friend  of  the  Church  in  this 
place;  and  to  his  bounty  the  congregation  are  to  this 
rfay  indebted  for  the  ground  which  forms  the  last  earthly 


U 

resting  place  of  their  departed  relatives  and  friends. 
The  lot  which  he  gave  on  the  corner  of  Market  and 
Fourth  streets,  not  being  sufficiently  largo  for  the  double 
purpose  of  a  cliurch  edifice  and  a  burying  ground,  the 
legislature  of  the  province  passed  an  act  by  which  the 
vestry  were  authorised  to  use  thirty  feet  of  Market 
street,  for  the  front  of  the  church;  and  this  accounts  for 
the  somewhat  singular  location  of  the  old  building  which 
was  removed  in  1839.  This  act,  which  is  the  first 
found  on  record  touching  the  parish,  may  be  seen  at  large 
in  Martin's  collection  of  the  private  laws  of  the  state, 
and  bears  date  XXV.  Geo.  II.  1751..;  The  commis- 
sioners named  for  carrying  its  provisions  into  effiect  were 
Samuel  Swann,  Joseph  Blake,  William  Faris,  John 
Sampson,  Lewis  De  Rossett,  and  John  Ashe,  members 
of  his  majesty's  council.  It  appears  from  the  preamble 
of  the  above  act,  that  tlie  church  was  expected  to  be 
built  by  the  voluntary  subscriptions  of  the  parisliioners. 
There  occurs,  however,  about  this  time,  the  record  of 
an  additional  source  of  revenue  to  the  commissioners, 
sufficiently  singular  to  demand  a  passing  notice.  A 
number  of  Spanish  privateers,  availing  themselves  of  the 
defenceless  condition  of  the  Cape  Fear,  had  in  1749 
entered  the  river  and  committed  considerable  depreda- 
tions upon  the  inhabitants.  The  people  of  the  surround- 
ing country  hastily  collected  and  made  an  attack  upon 
them.  During  the  action  one  of  these  piratical  vessels 
was  blown  up,  and  a  number  of  valuable  effects  taken 


E 


Am 


1 


('•■), 


/ 


!  ■P. 


'i 


12 

out  of  tlic  wreck.  Tlin  proccods  of  this  property  was 
afterwards  applied  to  the  building  of  the  churches  in 
Wilmington  and  Brunswick.' 

How  soon  the  commissioners  entered  upon  the  work 
witli  which  they  were  cliargcd,  we  have  now  no  means 
of  ascertaining.  Of  tiieir  progress,  however,  wc  may 
form  some  idea  from  the  fact,  that  the  same  statute  book 
which  contains  the  record  of  their  appointment,  contains 
another  act  of  the  colonial  assembly,  bearing  date  XI. 
Geo.  III.  1770,  appointing  the  lion.  Lewis  De  Rosselt 
and  Frederick  Gregg,  Esq.,  commissioners  in  the  place 
of  others  who  \^crcdcad,  foryinis/an^' the  church  in  Wil- 
mington." Hence  it  would  appear  that  at  least  nineteen 
years  must  have  elapsed  from  the  commencement  to  the 
completion  of  the  first  parish  church  of  St.  James.  This  , 
tardiness  in  providing  themselves  with  one  of  the  first  ' 
requisites  for  the  decent  and  comfortable  worship  of 
God,  may  seem,  to  some,  not  to  argue  very  favourably 
for  the  religious  zeal  of  our  ancestors.  It  should  be  re- 
membered, however,  that  the  congregation  at  that  day 
was  much  smaller  than  at  present,  and  their  resources 
still  more  scanty.     It  deserves  also  to  be  noted,  that 

"  Among  the  curious  tilings  found  in  this  pirato  was  a  painting  ■ 
of  Christ,  in  one  of  the  scenes  of  passion,  as  described  by  St.  Mat- 
thew in  the  XXVII.  chapter,  27th,  28th,  and  29lh  verses.  This 
painting  is  still  preserved  in  the  vestry  room  of  the  church,  and  hoB 
been  pronounced  by  some,  who  arc  judges  in  such  matters,  to  bo 
a  work  of  considerable  merit. 


<i^ 


13 
much  of  this  time  the  people  were  without  a  clergyman 
to  animate  anJ  encourage  them  in  their  work.  We  have- 
seen  that  the  Rev.  jMr.  Moir  left  this  place  in  1747-8. 
Seven  years  at  least  must  have  elapsed  before  his  place 
was  supplied.  . 

Tito  person  snleclcd  as  the  aiiccoasor  of  Mr.  Moir  was 
the  Rev.  Mr.  iMcDowell.  Our  information  of  this  fact 
is  derived  from  the  records  of  the  Venerable  ..Society  for 
1755.  It  is  there  briefly  stated,  "that  the  Rev.  Mr. 
McDowell,  who  had  been  put  into  Orders  last  year  at 
George  Dobbs'  request,  is  fixed  at  Wilmington,  the 
largest  town  in  the  province,  where  he  is  diligcndy  em- 
ployed in  his  sacred  office,  and  much  esteemed  by  his 
parishioners. 

About  this  time  the  parish  received  from  the  Venera- 
ble  Society,*   a   valuable   donation    of   Bibles,    Prayer 

■  It  has  been  well  and  truly  said,  that  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Church  in  these  United  States,  is  indebted  under  God  to  the 
Church  of  England,  for  her  first  foundation,  and  a  long  continu- 
ance of  nursing  care  and  protection.  This  remark  is  more  imme- 
diately applicable  to  that  noble  society  whose  benevolent  labours 
we  have  had  such  frequent  occasion  to  notice  while  writing  this 
hasty  sketch.  The  history  of  this  society,  from  the  year  1701.  ■ 
when  it  first  came  into  existence,  up  to  tlie  American  Ilcvolntion, 
which  put  a  stop  to  its  benevolent  operations,  is  the  histurj'  of  the 
establishment  and  progress  of  the  Church,  in  this  country.  "Of 
its  extraordinary  ellrciency,"  it  has  been  justly  said,  **  some  ap- 
proach to  a  correct  opinion  may  be  formed  from  the  fact,  that  when 
it  began  ita  operations  in  the  American  colonics,  it  found  but  five 
churches;  and  when  compelled  by  the  War  of  the  lievolution  to 
close  them,  it  lefl  us  with  two  hundred  and  fiftv."     From  the  Re- 


V  : 

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14 

Books  and  other  religious  publications  for  distribution 
;imong  the  people.  A  few  of  these  books  still  remain  in 
the  library  of  the  parish  ;  and  among  them  may  be  seen 
two  valuable  old  volumes,  bearing  on  their  antiquated 
covers  the  royal  arms  of  England,  and  marked  as  "  the 
gift  of  his  Royal  Highness,  George,  Prince  of  Wales," 
afterwards  King  George  III. 

It  is  matter  of  regret  that  we  know  but  little  of  the 
progress  of  the  parish  under  the  ministry  of  the  Rev. 
Mr.  McDowell.  From  the  brief  abstract  of  the  Vener- 
able Society,  (our  only  source  of  information,)  we  learn 
that  they  regarded  him  as  "a  highly  useful  and  faithful 
labourer  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Master,  and  well  worthy 
of  the  station  which  he  held."  This  estimate  of  his 
character  appears  fully  sustained  by  the  fact  that,  like 
his  worthy  prcilecessor,  he  extended  his  labours  to  every 
part  of  his  extensive  mission;  and  that  in  the  more 
remote  congregations  of  his  charge  he  established  lay 
reading,  to  supply  that  lack  of  service  which  his  own 
numerous  duties  rendered  impracticable  to  himself.  He 
appears  to  have  continued  his  residence  in  Wilmington 
up  to  the  year  1760,  when,  at  the  instance  of  Governor 

port  of  the  Society  in  1842,  its  receipts  were  nearly  400,000  dol- 
lars, and  its  expenditures  in  the  same  year  amounted  to  about 
480,000  dollars. 

May  the  Divine  hlessing  continue  to  rest  upon  this  noble  Society, 
the  oldest  missionary  institution  on  the  records  of  the  Protestant 
world,  and  crown  its  future  labours  with  even  more  abundant  aoc- 


15 

Dobbs,  he  was  removed  to  Brunswick — still,  however, 
giving  a  portion  of  his  time  to  the  congregation  here. 
Mr.  McDowell  remained  on  the  mission  until  the  autumn 
of  1763,  when  he  fell  a  victim  to  the  sickness  incident  to 
the  country,  and  passed,  as  we  may  humbly  hope,  from 
the  scene  of  his  earthly  labours  to  reap  their  reward  in  a 
better  world.  Tradition  reports  that  he  was  buried,  at 
his  own  request,  beneath  the  altar  of  the  sanctuary  in 
which  he  ministered — thus  in  death  as  in  life  still  cleav- 
ing to  the  church.  That  sanctuary  is  now  a  neglected^  Sjl-^-^ 
ruin.  Trees  larger  than  those  of  the  surrounding  forest ^  f-'^^^i- 
have  grown  up  within  its  roofless  walls.  The  mission-  /  ^J  ^ 
ary's  grave  is  undistinguished  from  those  of  the  numer-  ^  '  *^'»  ' 
ous  congregations  who  sleep  around  him.  Time  has 
long  since  levelled  the  incumbent  sod,  and  no  stone 
was  erected  to  mark  the  spot  where  his  ashes  repose. 
But  a  nobler  monument  to  McDowell  than  marble  or 
brass  could  supply  is  around  us  and  before  us.  It  is  seen 
in  the  successful  prevalence  and  the  happy  influence  of 
that  religion,  for  the  establishment  of  which  ho  gave  his 
life.  This  will  stand  when  all  earthly  monuments  have 
perished  and  passed  away :  nor  could  llie  grave-yard  of 
an  abbey  furnish  a  more  honourable  epilajih  for  him 
than  the  simple  phrase  of  one  of  the  letters  which  an- 
nounced his  death  to  the  Venerable  Society,  in  whose 
service  he  died :  "  He  was  a  good  man— faithful  in  his 
sacred  office,  and  well  deserved  to  be  a  missionary." 
In  the  following  year  (1764)  the  governor  of  the  pro- 


A: 


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16 


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viiice  wrote  to  ilie  Venerable  Society  in  England,  "  that 
since  llie  death  of  Mr.  iNIcDowell,  there  were  only  six 
missionaries  in  North  Carolina."  He  earnestly  entreated 
that  one  might  be  sent  as  early  as  possible  to  supply  the 
vacancy  at  Brunswick,  nnd  also  a  clergyman  for  the 
parish  of  St.  James',  to  reside  at  Wilmington.  A  similar 
application  was  made  about  the  same  time  by  the  War- 
dens and  Vestry  of  St.  James  to  the  Bishop  of  London. 
The  residt  of  these  applications  was,  that  in  the  follow- 
-.  >-.'4./.  i^ing  year  (17C5)  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bamett,  "strongly  recom- 
!  i.|i;lXii<»8^  V»"'^'"'^''  ''y  persons  both  in  England  and  America,  was 
'  '■■■'  f  \'  appointed  by  the  Venerable  Society  as  their  missionary 
^••*  at  AVilmington  and  Brunswick — to  officiate  at  these 
places  alternately,  as  his  E.xccllency,  Governor  Tryon, 
might  think  proper  to  direct."  The  first  year  Mr.  Bar- 
nett  appears  to  have  resided  in  the  parish  of  St.  James ; 
but  in  the  ne.\t  he  was  removed  to  Brunswick — continu- 
ing, however,  like  his  predecessor,  to  extend  his  services 
to  the  more  remote  congregations  embraced  in  the  mis- 
sion.  This  arrangement  continued  till  the  spring  of 
1706,  when  the  Vestry  of  St.  James'  succeeded  in  se- 
curing the  services  of  a  clergyman  devoted  exclusively 
to  their  own  parish.  This  person  was  the  Rev.  John 
Wills.  He  arrived  in  Wilmington  some  time  early  in 
the  year  1766,  and  continued  to  officiate  for  this  parish 
with  great  acceptance  for  about  ten  years.  A  record  of 
Mr.  Wills'  original  agreement  with  the  vestry  is  still  in 
existence.     The  book  which  contains  it  was  once  the 


!  ifi. 

i  m 

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li!:. 


17 

register  of  the  parish,  but  is  now  claimed  and  used  as  a 
sort  of  journal  by  the  wardens  of  the  poor,  and  was 
found,  by  the  present  writer,  in  the  hands  of  the  person 
employed  by  them  as  purveyor  lo  the  alms-house.  As 
the  contract  between  Mr.  Wills  and  the  Vestry  may  be 
an  object  of  some  curiosity  to  churchmen  of  the  present 
day,  and  as  the  old  register  which  contains  it  may  be  ere 
long  irrecoverably  lost,  we  shall  proceed  to  extract  it, 
together  with  such  other  matters  as  may  throw  light  on 
the  history  of  the  parish  during  this  period. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry  of  the  Parish  of  St. 
James,  held  at  the  court  house  in  Wilmington,  on  the 
16th  day  of  April,  1766;  Present  William  Campbell  and 
John  Devane,  Church  Wardens;  and  the  Hon.  Lewis 
De  Rossett,  Cornelius  Harnett,  Arthur  Mabson,  William 
Campbell,  and  William  Edward,  Vestrymen:  Agreed 
with  Rev.  Mr.  John  Wills  to  allow  him  £185  Proc. 
money,  for  one  year's  salary  and  house  hire — commenc- 
mg  from  last  Easter  Monday,  and  ending  Easier  Monday 
in  the  year  1767— to  officiate  as  minister  of  said  parish, 
in  Wilmington  eighteen  Sundays  during  said  time— at 
the  Sound  six  Sundays— at  Rocky  Point  six  Sundays— 
at  Long  Creek  six  Sundays— at  Black  River  six  Sun- 
days, and  at  Welsh  Tract  si.x  Sundays— the  remaining 
four  Sundays  at  his  disposal.  The  minister  to  give 
timely  notice  in  writing  of  the  places  he  intends  to 
preach  at." 

•2* 


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Sil 


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I  If 


18 

Tliis  programme  of  Ihe  parson's  labours  shows  us 
iiuleed  that  he  licld  "pluraUlics"  here;  but  those  only 
who  know  the  history  and  value  of  Proc.  money  can 
form  any  idea  of  the  extent  of  his  revenues.  Mr.  Wills 
is  still  remembered  by  a  few  aged  persons  of  tliat  gene- 
ration who  yet  survive.  From  their  accounts  of  him,  he 
appears  to  have  been  happily  constituted  for  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  sphere  of  his  labours.  lie  is 
represented  as  a  man  of  a  highly  finished  education — 
sprightly  and  engaging  in  his  manners,  and  peculiarly 
forcible  and  solemn  in  his  public  ministrations. 

We  possess  no  materials  from  which  to  judge  of  the 
progress  of  the  Church  during  the  ministry  of  Mr.  Wills. 
His  oflicial  records,  if  he  kept  any,  have  either  been 
lost,  or  were  carried  away  with  him  when  he  resigned 
his  charge.  In  the  year  1770,  die  Venerable  Society 
made  him  a  gratuity  of  £30  in  token  of  their  approba- 
tion of  his  services,  and  about  the  same  time  the  parish 
received  from  the  same  source  an  additional  donation  of 
Bibles  and  other  books  of  instruction  and  devotion.  The 
only  matter  of  interest  found  on  the  old  records  of  the 
vestiy  of  which  wo  have  spoken  above,  is  a  brief  cor- 
respondence between  themselves  and  the  governor  of  the 
province,  touching  the  induction  or  institution  of  Mr. 
Wills,  which,  as  affording  some  slight  indication  of  the 
temper  of  the  times,  we  will  here  lay  before  the  reader. 
The  first  is  a  letter  from  the  governor  to  the  vestry. 


19 

Brunswick,  St/i  Feb.,  1770. 
Gentlemen  : 

As  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wills,  who  has  been  long  a  resident 
among  you,  expresses  a  desire  of  settling  in  your  parish, 
I  am  to  acquaint  you  that  I  propose  giving  him  letters 
of  presentation  and  induction  thereto.  I  would,  there- 
fore, bo  glad  to  hear  from  you,  gentlemen,  whedier  there 
are  any  objections  to  Mr.  Wills  in  the  duties  of  his  sa- 
cred office. 

I  am,  gemlemen,  your  ob't  servant, 

WILLIAM  TRYON. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry,  held  on  the  10th  May  iu 
same  year,  it  was  ordered  that  the  Church  Wardens 
return  the  following  answer  to  the  letter  of  his  Excel- 
lency the  Governar. 

Wilmington,  Uth  May,  1770. 
Sir: 

We  are  directed  by  the  Vestry  of  St.  James'  Parish, 
to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  Excellency's  favour 
of  the  9th  of  February  last.  In  answer  to  which,  we 
are  desired  to  inform  your  Excellency,  that  they  are 
very  well  satisfied  to  employ  Mr.  Wills  in  the  Parish  a^ 
usual, .since  he  is  a  gendeman  every  way  worthy  of  his 
sacred  function.  But  they  cannot  agree  to  his  bein? 
inducted  into  the  Parish,  as  they  humbly  conceive,  from 
the  best  information  they  can  procure,  that  no  power  of 


It 

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■  .  s 


II 


20 

presenlaiion  or  induclion  is  lodged  in  the  Crown  by  any 

act  of  the  assembly  of  this  province. 

Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  very  humble 

servants, 

JOHN  ANCRUM,  ^    Church 

WILLIAM  WILKINSON,  5  Wardens. 

To  the  foregoing  letter,  llie  Vestry  received  the  fol- 
lowing reply  : 

New-Bcrne,  July  17,  I770. 
Iie.vtlemen: 

I  have  had  the  satisfaction  to  receive,  by  your  direc- 
tion, a  letter  dated  11th  May  last,  from  Messrs.  Ancrum 
and  Wilkinson,  the  Church  Wardens  of  St.  James'  Pa- 
rish ;  wherein  the  Rev.  Mr.  Wills  is  declared  to  be  a 
gentleman  worthy  of  his  sacred  Ihnction.  In  consider- 
ation, therefore,  of  such  honourable  testimonial,  and  Mr. 
Wills'  desire  to  receive  letters  of  presentation  and  induc- 
tion for  your  Parish,  I  have  complied  with  such  desire 
—remaining  under  llie  clearest  conviction  that  I  have  a 
full  right  so  to  do,  and  which  I  esteem  it  my  bounden 
duty  10  perform.  Finding,  however,  from  the  above- 
mentioned  letter,  ihal  "you  conceive,  from  ilie  best 
information  you  can  procure,  that  no  power  of  presen- 
tation or  induction  is  lodged  in  the  crown  by  any  act 
of  the  assembly  of  this  province,"  I  have  this  favour, 
gentlemen,  to  request  of  you :  that  you  will  continue  to 


i 


21 

e.x-tend  your  good  offices  and  friendly  attention  to  Mr. 
Wills  until  a  better  title  to  presentation  and  induction 
can  be  set  up  and  established  than  what  I  claim  under 
the  crown. 

I  am,  gentlemen,  your  most  obedient  and  very  humble 
servant, 

WILLIAM  TRYON. 
To  the  Vestry  of  St.  James'  Parish. 

The  following  answer  to  the  above  was  ordered  by 
tlie  Vestry: 

TVilmington,  Nov.  28,  1770. 
May  it  please  your  Ex-cellency  : 

By  direction  of  the  Vestry  of  St.  James'  Parish,  we 
are  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  favour  to  them  of 
the  17th  July  last;  and  to  inform  you  that  they,  as  well 
in  regard  to  your  Excellency's  instance  as  to  Mr.  Wills' 
merits,  will  continue  their  good  offices  and  friendly  notice 
to  liini. 

We  are,  with  respect,  your  E.xcellency's  most  obe- 
Jient  and  humble  servants, 

JOHN  ANCRUM,  ^    Church 

WILLIAM  WILKINSON,  5  Wardens. 

This  letter  closed  the  correspondence  between  the 
vestry  and  the  governor,  touching  tlie  matter  of  presen- 
tation and  induction.     Its  exclusively  political  bearing  is 


m 


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lilt; 

I 


III 
ill 

•  -I: 


I  ; 


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22 

sutTu'ieiilly  obvious  without  comment.  According  to  llie 
Englisli  law,  the  right  of  presenlalion  and  induction  be- 
longs to  the  crown  in  those  cases  only  where  a  chnrcli 
or  ohapcl  is  built  and  endowed  at  the  expense  of  the 
crown.  Tliis  was  not  the  case  here.  The  churcli  in 
this  pavjsli  was  built  and  suslnined  by  the  people.  Tiie 
claim,  therefore,  set  up  in  this  instance  by  the  governor, 
as  the  representative  of  the  crown  of  England,  was  ille- 
gal, and  very  properly  resisted  by  the  vestry.  This 
controversy  docs  not  appear  lo  have  produced  any 
cliange  of  feeUng  in  the  parish  towards  Mr.  Wills. 
Though  a  loyalist,  and  consequently  agreeing  in  opinion 
with  the  governor,  his  deportment  was  so  exemplary, 
and  his  ministrations  so  universally  acceptable,  that  he 
not  only  escaped  censure,  but  retained,  in  a  high  degree, 
the  ad'cctions  of  the  people  as  long  as  he  remained 
among  Ihcm. 

The  last  vestry  meeting  held  under  the  colonial  go- 
vernment, of  which  we  have  any  account,  was  in  De- 
cember, 177.5.  Among  the  proceedings  on  that  occasion 
we  find  the  following:  "Ordered  that  the  Church 
Wardens  of  St.  James'  Parish  join  with  the  Colonel  of 
the  New  Hanover  Regiment  and  the  Parson  of  said 
Parish,  to  receive  the  legacy  of  the  late  Hon.  James 
Innls,  deceased,  and  that  they  hire  out  the  slaves,  and 
lake  care  of  the  other  properly  as  they  may  see  best." 

The  writer  of  these  notes  has  made  oft  repeated  in- 
quiries with  a  view  to  ascertain  ihe  nature  and  amount 


83 

of  the  above  legacy,  and  the  purposes  to  which  it  was 
applied,  but  without  the  least  success.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Wills,  about  this  time  left  the  parish  and  returned  to 
England.  The  matter  was  then  left  with  the  Vestry  and 
the  Colonel  of  the  New  Hanover  Regiment.  We  must 
suppose  that,  according  to  the  above  resolve,  they  "  took 
care  of  the  property  as  they  saw  best."  We  cannot  but 
regret,  however,  that  they  have  left  no  record  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  discharged  the  duties  of  their 
stewardship.  This  was  due  not  less  lo  themselves  than 
to  the  benefactor  of  the  Church,  of  whose  pious  bequest 
they  were  the  appointed  guardians. 

Our  narrative  has  now  brought  us  down  to  the  com- 
mencement of  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  the  disastrous 
effects  of  which,  upon  the  Church  in  this  country,  were 
long  and  severely  felt.  In  ihe  popular  mind  the  Episco- 
pal Church  had  long  been  identified  with  the  government 
of  the  mother  country.  Hostility  to  the  measures  of  that 
government,  would  therefore,  very  naturally,  run  into  a 
hostility  to  the  Church.  The  effectof  this  feelingon  such 
of  the  colonial  clergy  as  remained  loyal,  was  embarrassing 
in  the  extreme.  "  Taken  as  a  body,  no  belter  friends  to 
their  country  were  to  be  found  in  it  than  were  many  of 
them  :  none  felt  a  livelier  interest  in  her  prosperity  and 
happiness;  but  they  likewise  felt  an  interest,  no  less 
lively,  in  the  success  of  religion— the  besi  and  only 
foundation  of  public  prosperity.  In  their  minds,  this 
was  naturally  associated  with  the  progress  of  the  dis- 


M'- 


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24 

linclivc  principles  of  tlieir  Church,  and  they  were  bovind 
moreover  by  Bolemn  obligations  of  obedience  to  the 
regular  authorities  in  church  and  state.  But  these  con- 
siderations, however  weighty  with  the  clergy,  had  but 
little  force  when  weighed  in  the  scales  of  popular  preju- 
dice. The  prevalent  idea  was  that  all  obligations,  moral 
and  religious,  and  all  the  ties  of  conscience  are  at  once 
dissolved  by  the  exigence  of  political  alTairs ;  and  the 
consequence  was  that  mere  neutrality  in  an  Episcopal 
clergyman,  was  in  many  cases,  regarded  as  sufTicient 
evidence  of  hostility  to  the  cause  of  his  country." 

It  is  not  intended  by  these  remarks  to  justify  such  of 
the  clergy  as  sliU  adhered  to  the  cause  of  England  ;  for 
the  contest  on  the  side  of  the  colonies  was  one  into 
which  they  wore  forced  by  the  despotic  measures  of  the 
home  government,  and  therefore  their  resistance  was 
right.  But  it  seems  due,  at  least,  to  say  this  much  in 
vindication  of  the  motives  of  a  much  misunderstood  and 
calumniated  class  of  men  ;  who,  whatever  may  have 
been  their  errors  of  judgment,  have  conferred  upon  our 
country  a  debt  of  obligation  which  eternity  alone  can 
fully  reveal. 

In  consequence  of  tlie  state  of  things  to  which  we  now 
ahude,  many  of  the  clergy  were  compelled  to  abandon 
their  cures,  the  doors  of  most  of  our  sanctuaries  became 
closed,  and  the  result  upon  the  general  welfare  of  the 
Church  was  deplorable  in  the  extreme.  It  is  believed 
that  few  of  our  parishes  suffered  longer  or  more  severely 


25 

than    the   one   whose   history   we  are  endeavouring  ,o 
iraee.     The   Rev.  Mr.   Wills,  the  last  of  its   IWs 
under  the  colonial  government,  resigned  his  charge  in 
1775—0.      There  is  no   evidence  that   his  place  was- 
supplied  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.     During  all  this 
t.me   the  language  of  the  Liturgy   was  silent   in  the 
sanctuary;  no  servant  of  the  altar  was  here  to  expound  lo 
the  people  the  word  of  life,  or  to  perform  for  them  the 
sacraments  of  grace.     In    1780-five  years   after   the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Wills-,he  town  of  Wilmington  be- 
came one  of  the  military  posts  of  the  British  army  in 
America.     During  their  stay  here,  the  properly  of  tlie 
Church  suffered  every  kind  of  violation.     The  inclosure 
of  the   graveyard   was  removed  and   burnt,   while  il,e 
church  itself  was  stripped  of  its  pews  and  other  furniture 
and  converted,  first  into  a  hospital  for  the  sick,  then  into 
a  Block-house  for  defence  against  the  Americans,  and 
finally  into  a  riding  school  for  the  Dragoons  of  Tarlefon. 
How  long  it  remained  in  this  condition  after  the  evacua- 
hon  of  the  enemy,  we  are  unable  to  ascertain.     There  is 
Imle  reason  to  suppose,  situated  as  the  congregation  then 
was,  that  they  could  be  very  forward  in  repairiu.  .he 
."juries  of  their  ehurch.     To  say  nothing  of  their  di- 
minished resources  in  consequence  of  the  war,  they  had 
"0  clergyman  to  lead  them  in  such  an  undertaking,  and 
what  was  worse,  they  had  no  prospect  of  obtaining  one. 
Every  thing  wore   the  aspect  of  desolation  antl  dis- 
couragement.    The  Parisl,  indeed  continued  to  exist, 
3 


■-!?■ 


'• 


1  '\M 

m 

'HI 

■  'I 


m 


24 

linciivc  principles  of  tlieir  Church,  and  ihey  were  bound 
moreover  by  solemn  oblig;ations  of  obedience  to  the 
rc'Tular  authorities  in  church  and  state.  But  these  con- 
siderations, however  weighty  with  the  clergy,  had  but 
little  force  when  weighed  in  the  scales  of  popular  preju- 
dice. The  prevalent  idea  was  that  all  obligations,  moral 
and  religious,  and  all  the  ties  of  conscience  are  at  once 
dissolved  by  the  exigence  of  political  affairs ;  and  the 
consequence  was  that  mere  neutrality  in  an  Episcopal 
clerffyjnan,  was  in  many  cases,  regarded  as  .suiTicient 
evidence  of  hostility  to  the  cause  of  his  country." 

It  is  not  intended  by  these  remarks  to  justify  such  of 
the  clergy  as  still  adhered  to  the  cause  of  England  ;  for 
the  contest  on  the  side  of  the  colonies  was  one  into 
which  they  were  forced  by  the  despotic  measures  of  the 
home  government,  and  therefore  their  resistance  was 
right.  But  it  seems  due,  at  least,  to  say  this  much  in 
vindication  of  the  motives  of  a  much  misunderstood  and 
calumniated  class  of  men ;  who,  whatever  may  have 
been  their  errors  of  judgment,  have  conferred  upon  our 
country  a  debt  of  obligation  which  eternity  alone  can 
fully  reveal. 

In  consequence  of  the  state  of  things  to  which  we  now 
alhide,  many  of  the  clergy  were  compelled  to  abandon 
their  cures,  the  doors  of  most  of  our  sanctuaries  became 
closed,  and  the  result  upon  the  general  welfare  of  the 
Church  was  deplorable  in  the  extreme.  It  is  believed 
that  few  of  our  parishes  suffered  longer  or  more  severely 


25 

than   the  one   whose   history  we  are  endeavouring  ,o 
■race.     The   Rev.  Mr.  Wills,  the   last  of  its   ReJtors 
under  the  colonial  government,  resigned  his  charge  in 
1775— G.      There  is  no  evidence  that  his  place  was 
supplied  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.     During  all  this 
t.me   the  language  of  the   Liturgy   was  silent  in  tlte 
sanctuary;  no  servant  of  the  altar  was  here  to  expound  io 
the  people  the  word  of  life,  or  to  perform  for  them  the 
sacraments   of  grace.     In    1780-five  years   after   the 
resignation  of  Mr.  WiUs-the  town  of  Wilmington  be- 
eame  one  of  the  military  posts  of  the  British  ^rmy  in 
America.     During  their  stay  here,  the  property  of  the 
Church  suffered  every  kind  of  violation.     The  inclosure 
of  the  graveyard  was  removed  and  burnt,  while  the 
church  itself  was  stripped  of  its  pews  and  other  furniture, 
and  converted,  first  into  a  hospital  for  the  sick,  then  mto 
a  Block-house  for  defence  against  the  Americans,  and 
finally  into  a  riding  school  for  the  Dragoons  of  Tarleton. 
How  long  it  remained  in  this  condilion  afier  the  evacua- 
tion  of  the  enemy,  we  are  unable  (o  ascertain.     There  is 
little  reason  to  suppose,  situated  as  tl,e  congro.ation  then 
was,  that  they  could  be  very  forward  in  repairing  ,he     ' 
."juries  of  their  church.     To  say  nothing  of  their  di- 
min.shed  resources  in  consequence  of  the  war,  tl,ey  had 
"0  clergyman  to  lead  them  in  such  an  undertaking,  and 
what  was  worse,  they  had  no  prospect  of  obtaining  one. 
Every  thing  wore   the   aspect  of  desolation  and   dis- 
eouragement.     The  Parish  indeed  continued  to  exist. 


m 


i;; 


1^;' 


;  I 


3 


^1 


26 
but  more  than  (his  couW  hardly  be  faid,     Many  became 
discouraged  and  abandoned  the  Church.     Others  how- 
ever— and  a  respectable  number — were  wise  enough  to 
wait  for  the  ordinances  of  Christ  in  the  Church  of  Christ. 
They  had  still   (he  Bibles,  Prayer  Books,  and   other 
religious  works  which  had  been  placed  in  their  hands 
by  the  missionaries  of  the  Venerable  Society,  and  with 
these  a  feeling  of  attachment  to  the  Church  of  their  fathers 
was  kept  alive,  which,  on  tlic  return  of  better  days,  prov- 
ed of  no  small  service  in  the  resuscitation  of  the  Parish. 
In  ITO!) — just  twenty  years  from  the  time  when  the 
last  clergyman  under  the  colonial  government  left,  the 
vestry,  having  reorganized  and  repaired  the  church  so  far 
as    to   render  it  lit   for   public    worship,  called    to   the 
Rectorship  the  Hev.  Dr.  Hailing,  who  for  some  time 
previous  had  oillciatcd  in  the  church  at  New  Bern.    This 
appointment  was  accepted  by  the  Dr.,  and  in  this  relation 
he  continued   till   May,   1809,   when    he   resigned    his 
charge  and  removed  to   Georgetown,  South  Carolina, 
where,  a  few  years  after,  he  closed  his  earthly  ministry 
with  his  life,  much  regretted  and  much  beloved  by  all 
who  knew  him. 

The  Parish  again  remained  vacant  until  18U,  when 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Empie,  the  present  Rector  of  St.  James, 
Richmond,  Va.  was  called,  and  entered  upon  his  duties 
here  in  the  month  of  November  in  the  same  year. 

Me  have  now  arrived  at  a  period  in  the  history  of  the 
Parish  to  which  we  may  justly  apply  the  words  of  the 


27 

Koiuan  Poet,  "major  rerum  nascitur  ordo."  Though 
the  Diocese  was  not  yet  duly  organized,  and  the  congre- 
gation consequently  wanted  those  incculives  to  action 
which  are  now  supplied  by  the  annual  visits  of  the 
Bishop,  and  the  regular  administration  of  the  Episcopal 
System,  yet  (here  is  evidence  before  us  to  justify  ilie 
belief,  that  piety  and  devout  attentions  to  religious  ordi- 
nances were  greatly  on  the  increase,  and  tliat  among 
the  members  of  the  Parish  originated  those  spirited 
eflbrts,  which,  aided  by  zealous  Churchmen  in  other 
places,  and  crowned  with  the  blessing  of  God,  have 
raised  the  Church,  iu  this  Diocese,  to  its  present  highly 
prosperous  condition.  The  congregation  continued  to 
enjoy  the  valuable  services  of  Dr.  Empie  until  the  spring 
of  1814,  when  he  resigned  the  rectorship  for  the  chap- 
laincy of  the  U.  S.  Military  Academy  at  West  Point, 
N.  Y.  During  these  three  years  of  his  residence  here, 
the  Parish  is  believed  to  have  improved  rapidly  both  in 
numbers  and  piety.  In  1811,  when  Dr.  E.  first  came 
to  its  charge,  the  number  of  communicants  was  only 
twenty-one.  In  April,  1814,  when  he  left,  the  number 
was  increased  to  one  hundred  and  two. , 

In  the  Autumn  of  this  year  (1814,)  the  vestry  secured 
the  services  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Judd,  lately  rector  of  St. 
John's  church,  Utica,  N.  Y.  As  Dr.  J.  was  induced  to 
visit  the  South,  mainly  for  the  benefit  of  his  health,  the 
Parish  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  his  ministrations  only 
about  eight  months  of  the  year.     There  is  evidence. 


11 


i 

■!  .1* 


28 
liowcver,  ihatliis  residence  here  was  altended  witli  great 
bcncfu  to  ihe  Church.     The  arrangement  with  Dr.  JudU. 
appears  lo  have  continued  until  May,  1810,  when  he 
'■osigncd.  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Empic,  who  re- 
Uirned   to   the   charge  of  the   Parish   shortly  alter  its 
loliuquishincut  hy  his  predecessor.     At  this  time  tl,e 
'  ongregalion  liad  so  mucli  increased  tl,at  it  was  found 
necessary  to  increase  tlie  number  of  pews,  whicli  was 
done  by  the  erection  of  side  galleries.     From  this  period, 
onward,   to   ll,e  year   1827,   when   the  ne.xt  vacancy 
occurred,  the  allairs  of  the  Parisli  seem  to  have  been 
Itiglily  prosperous.     Besides  the  Sunday  Schools  and 
Kible  Classes,  wliicli  were  instituted  and  kept  in  suc- 
eessful  operation  by  the  Rector,  an  association  for  the 
education   of  poor  children,    another  for   the   pureliase 
^M\  gratuitous  distribution  of  Bibles  and  Prayer  Books, 
nud  a  third  Ibr  the  formation  of  a  Parochial  Library,  all 
eame   into  being,  and   were   sustained   with   a  highly 
creditable  liberality. 

I"  May,  1827,  Dr.  Empie  again  resigned  the  rector- 
ship of  the  congregation  ;  and  i„  the  month  of  December 
following,  tho  Rev.  T.  S.  W.  Mo.te,  the  present  rector 
of  St.  John's,  Buncombe  county,  became  the  minister. 
The  Parish  enjoyed  the  services  of  Air.  M.  only  about 
S.X  months,  when,  in  consequence  of  feeble  health,  he 
was  compelled  to  leave.  He  retired  from  the  rectorship 
■n  Jutie,  I82S,  and  was  succeeded  in  January  of  the 


•29 

following  year,  by  the  Rev.  William  D.  Cairns,  the 
present  Rector  of  Trinity  church,  Columbus,  Ga, 

The  various  interests  of  the  church  appear  to  have 
been  well  sustained  during  the  incumbency  of  .Mr.  Cairns, 
In  addition  to  those  indications  of  growing  strength  and 
improvement  mentioned  above,  it  deserves  to  be  noted 
that  in  the  year  1832,  an  eligible  lot  was  purchased  and 
a  comfortable  Rectory  provided  for  the  minister.  For 
this  very  important  measure,  the  Parish  is  indebted 
almost  entirely  to  a  sewing  society  among  the  ladies  of 
the  congregation — an  association,  which,  through  a  series 
of  years,  has  scattered  its  benefactions  with  a  liberal 
hand  over  every  part  of  the  diocese.* 

Mr.  Cairns  resigned  his  charge  in  June,  1833,  and 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  F.  Davis,  the 
present  rector  of  St.  Luke's,  Salisbury,  and  Christ 
church.  Rowan.  Mr.  Davis  entered  upon  the  duties  of 
the  station  in  the  month  of  November  in  the  same  year, 
and  continued  in  the  service  of  the  Parish  till  the  spring 
of  1836,  when  he  was  compelled,  by  the  impaired  state 
of  his  health,  much  to  the  regret  of  his  congregation,  to 

•  This  Society  was  incorporated  in  1833-4,  by  ttio  Legislature 
of  North  Carolino,  and  authorised  lo  hold  property.  Upon  the  lot 
which  they  purchased  near  tlie  Church,  a  commodious  Hall  for  Iho 
purpose  of  a  Free  School,  was  subsequently  erected  by  the  joint 
munificence  of  the  Hon.  E.  B.  Dudley  and  P.  K.  Dickinson,  Esq., 
and  presented  to  the  Society. 

The  avails  of  iheir  labours,  (working  one  afternoon  each  week) 
from  1822,  when  the  Society  was  formed,  up  to  tho  1st  May,  1843, 
amounted  to  nearly  S4500. 

3* 


'.w: 


)vm 


30 
resign  his  charge.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that  during  the 
rectorship  of  this  gentleman,  a  portion  of  the  congregation 
wlio  usually  spend  their  summers  at  WrightsviUe  on  the 
8ou)ul,  succeeded  in  erecting  a  very  neat  and  commoJious 
chapel,  in  which  public  worship  is  regularly  maintained 
by  Lay  Readers,  and  occasional  visits  of  the  Rector 
during  four  months  of  the  year. 

We  have  now  traced  the  principal  circumstances  in 
the  history  of  this  Parish  down  to  the  time  when  the 
present  Rector  became  connected  with  it.  'J'his  was  on 
July  1st,  I83G.  To  some,  perhaps,  it  may  appear 
unnecessiiry  to  enter  upon  the  details  of  a  period,  the 
incidents  of  which,  must  be  sufhcienlly  known  to  the 
existing  generation.  There  is,  however,  in  the  appre- 
hension of  the  writer  of  these  notes,  some  propriety, 
having  coinmenced  the  narrative,  in  bringing  it  down  to 
the  present  lime.  He  expects  very  soon  to  leave  this 
for  another  lield  of  labour.  His  solicitude,  however,  for 
the  welfare  ofhis  former  charge  wiUremainundiminished, 
wherever  Divine  Providence  may  cast  his  lot.  He 
th.erefore  continues  his  narrative,  not  merely  because  the 
subject  interests  his  own  mind,  but  with  the  humble 
hope  that  when  he  is  gone,  the  record  may  add  some 
little  to  that  stock  of  attachment  which  others  may  feel 
for  a  society  to  which  they  have  devoted  many  of  their 
anxious  hours,  their  prayers  and  their  laborious  efforts. 

When  the  writer  of  this  sketch  commenced  his  min- 
istry in  St.  James',  the  parish  church,  which  was  built 


31 

before  the  Revolution,  was  found  (o  be  in  a  condition 
demanding  repairs  nearly  equal  to  the  cost  of  a  new 
church.  After  giving  the  matter  a  degree  of  consideration 
which  its  importance  demanded,  it  was  judged  best  by 
the  vestry  and  congregation  to  abandon  the  old  site, 
which  was  partly  in  the  street,  and  erect  a  new  building 
on  a  more  eligible  lot.  With  a  degree  of  unanimity 
rarely  equalled  in  undertakings  of  the  kind,  the  enterprize 
was  commenced,  and  happily  conducted  to  its  completion. 
The  following  sketch,  on  the  occasion  of  the  laying  of 
the  corner  stone,  is  taken  from  the  Wilmington  Advertiser 
of  April  5th,  1839. 

"The  corner  stone  of  the  new  edifice  designed  for  die 
use  of  the  congregation  of  St.  James'  Parish,  was  laid 
in  this  town  on  Wednesday,  the  3d  inst.,  by  die  Rev.  Mr. 
Drane,  the  Rector  of  the  Parish,  in  the  presence  of  the 
Wardens  and  Vestry,  and  a  large  number  of  spectators. 
At  half  past  10  o'clock,  A.M.,  a  procession  was  formed 
at  the  lecture  room  near  the  ground,  and  proceeded  to 
the  site  of  the  new  building,  where,  after  appropriate 
religious  services,  an  address  was  delivered  by  the  Rev. 
Rector.  After  expressing  his  great  gratification  at  the 
event  which  had  called  them  together,  and  the  pleasing 
prospects  which  were  opening  before  the  Parish,  the 
speaker  proceeded  to  pay  a  merited  compliment  to  the 
good  taste  of  the  Vestry  on  the  mode,  according  to  which 
Ihey  had  determined  to  erect  their  church.  The  style 
of  the  building,  he  remarked,  (which  is  Gothic,)  was 


ft; 


< 
4'- 

i 

•, 

1- 

f' 
r 

i:;fi; 


■i■^ 


ij$iM 


I  't^ 


33 

peculiarly  ailapled  to  sacred  uses.  The  experience  of 
ages  haJ  proved  that  it  was  better  calculated  than  any- 
other  to  fill  men  with  awe  and  reverence,  to  repress  the 
tumult  of  unreflecting  gaiety,  and  to  render  the  mind 
sedate  and  solemn.  It  was  a  just  remark,  that  whatever 
tended  to  make  men  serious  and  devout  when  they  ap- 
proach the  Divine  Majesty,  was  an  au.xiliary  to  his 
service;  and  tlie  providing  of  that  whicli  produced  this 
effect  in  the  highest  degree,  was  an  act  by  which  we 
doubtless  honoured  our  Maker.  The  Hector  next  ad- 
verted to  the  great  liberality  and  liarmony  which  had 
thus  far  characterized  the  people  of  his  charge,  and  ex- 
horted them  to  continue  thus  to  act  as  ihe  only  way  by 
which  they  could  hope  for  the  approbation  and  blessing 
of  Heaven.  This  was  followed  by  some  appropriate 
remarks  on  the  hallowed  associations  which  would  for 
ever  hereafter  be  connected  with  the  spot  on  which  they 
stood,  and  the  influence  of  the  peculiar  services  of  the 
Church  in  rendering  these  associations  valuable.  It  was 
one  of  the  distinguishing  excellences  of  our  worship,  he 
remarked,  that  many  of  the  prayers  which  it  contains 
had  come  down  to  us  from  the  earliest  and  purest  ages 
of  Christianity.  They  were  the  prayers  of  Basil  and 
Chrysostom,  of  Cyprian  and  Augustine,  of  Cranmer, 
Latimer  and  Ridley;  and  it  was  a  pleasing  thought,  that 
our  children  would  hereafter  be  able  to  say  of  us,  as  we 
now  say  of  the  blessed  men  who  have  gone  before  us, 
"these  prayers  our  fathers  have  uttered,  and  tliis  sanc- 


33 

tuary,  erected  by  their  zeal  and  liberality,  is  the  patri- 
inony  which  they  have  bequeathed  to  us." 

At  the  conclusion  of  his  address,  the  Rector  read  the 
following  paper,  which  contains  an  account  of  the  arti- 
cles deposited  in  the  corner  stone. 

"  Pro  Deo,  pro  ecclesia,  pro  liominum  salute.  In  the 
name  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost.     Amen. 

"  This  corner  stone  of  St.  James'  Church  is  laid  this 
3d  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  'Lord  one  thousaml 
eight  hundred  and  tliirty  nine,  (1880).  The  Rt.  Rev. 
Levi  Silliman  Ives,.  D.D.,L.L.D.,  being  Bishop  of  the 
Diocese  of  North  Carolina.  The  Rev.  Robert  Brent 
Drane,  A.  M,  being  the  Rector  of  the  Parish,  and  ofhci- 
ating  on  the  occasion. 

Dr.  a.  J.  De  ROSSETT,  7 

W.  C.  LORD,  C  Cimrch  Wardens. 

Dr.  THOMAS  H.  M'RIGHT," 

Dr.  a.  J.  De  ROSSETT,  Jr., 

W.  B.  GILES.  Uestryn^o" 

W.  A.  WILLIAMS,  ' 

JAMES  T.  MILLER, 

"  The  plan  of  this  building  was  designed  by  T.  U. 
Walter  of  Philadelphia,  and  executed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  John  S.  Norris  of  New  York,  by  J.  C.  Wood  as 
principal  mason,  and  C.  H.  Dall  as  principal  carpenter. 
"  May  the  gates  of  Hell  never  prevail  against  it." 
With  the  above,  there  were  deposited  in  the  comer 


■s'  I' 


a- 


!;n... 

"-  If 


3t 

stone  a  Bible,  a  Prayer  Book,  Journal  of  the  Conveiitioti 
of  rv'orih  Carolina  for  1838,  Bishop  Ives'  Second  Charge 
to  the  Clergy  of  his  Diocese,  Journal  of  the  General 
Convention  for  1838,  Churchman's  Almanac,  Sword's 
Pocket  Almanac,  the  Banner  of  the  Cross,  the  Spirit  of 
Missions,  Journal  of  Religious  Education,  Children's 
Sunday  School  Magazine,  Wilmington  Advertiser,  Wil- 
mington Chronicle,  the  Charter  of  the  Wilmington  and 
Raleigh  Kail  Road  Company,  and  several  specimens  of 
American  coin. 

The  Church  whose  corner  stone  was  thus  laid,  was 
so  far  completed  within  twelve  months,  as  to  be  ready 
for  consecration.  This  solemnity  was  performed  by  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Ives,  assisted  by  the  Rector  and  several 
other  clergymen,  on  the  fourth  Sunday  in  Lent,  March 
29th,  A.D.  1840.  And  the  house  thus  opened  for  Di- 
vine service  has  ever  since  been  well  attended  by  a  large 
and  increasing  congregation  of  worshippers. 

The  beautiful  bronze  chandeliers,  by  which  the  church 
is  lighted,  as  well  a^  the  appropriate  furniture  for  the 
desk  and  pulpit,  were  the  gift  of  the  ladies  of  the  con- 
gregation. The  bell  and  clock,  which  were  placed  in 
the  tower  in  1841,  were  presented  to  the  parish  by  P. 
K.  Dickinson,  Esq.  The  beautiful  marble  font,  which 
adorns  the  front  of  the  cliancel,  and  constitutes  one  of  the 
most  attractive  ornaments  of  the  church,  was  purchased 
by  the  Rector,  with  money  placed  in  his  hands  for  the 
purpose  by  the  litUe  girls  of  his  charge.     The  commu- 


35 

nion  plate  of  the  church  consists  of  one  flagon,  two 
chalices,  and  one  paten — all  of  virgin  silver ;  and  each 
inscribed  with  the  appropriate  motto, 

"Cruce  Christi  Confido." 

This  plate  is  understood  to  have  been  presented  to  the 
parish  by  the  late  Gen.  Smith  of  Brunswick  county. 

The  parish  library  consists  of  about  750  volumes — 
many  of  them  valuable  standard  works  in  divinity.  Six 
individuals,  natives  of  the  parish,  have  been  admitted  to 
Holy  Orders.  The  whole  number  of  baptisms  since 
1811,  when  the  present  records  commence,  is  744. 
Two  hundred  and  six  couples  have  been  united  in  holy 
matrimony.  And  over  the  mortal  remains  of  295  per- 
sons the  funeral  solemnities  of  the  Church  have  been 
performed. 

It  is  worthy  of  being  noted,  that  in  1842  that  portion 
of  the  congregation  who  usually  spend  their  summers  at 
Smithville,  commenced  the  erection  of  a  neat  Gothic 
chapel  in  that  village,  which  will  probably  be  ready  for 
public  worship  in  the  course  of  the  present  season. 

The  number  of  families  connected  with  the  parish  at 
this  time,  is  about  one  hundred  and  six  j  and  the  number 
of  communicants  reported  to  the  last  convention  of  the 
Diocese  was  two  hundred  and  twenty. 

Here  we  conclude  our  notices  of  this  interesting  old 
parish.  The  lesson  to  be  learnt  from  this,  as  from  all 
Church  history,  is  a  lesson  of  faith  in  the  Author  of  all 


(:..^ 


m 


'film 


vis 

■MjE,:; 


^^. 


36 

truth,  the  Founder  and  Preserver  of  that  religion  of 
which  ilio  Church  is  the  appointed  keeper  and  witness 
in  the  world.  Tlie  foregoing  sketch,  brief  and  imperfect 
as  it  is,  will  not  have  been  written  in  vain,  if  it  shall  lead 
one  Churchman  who  reads  the  record  of  the  trials  and 
deliverances  of  his  Church,  to  offer  more  fervently  the 

prayer  of  confidence  to  the  Almighty  Protector: "O 

God,  we  have  heard  with  our  ears,  and  our  fathers  have 
told  us  of  the  noble  works  which  thou  didst  in  their 
days,  and  in  the  old  time  before  tlicm,  and  to  entreat 
that  his  continual  pity  may  still  cleanse  and  defend  his 
Church,  and  that  the  course  of  this  world  may  be  so 
peaceably  ordered  by  his  governance, '  that  his  Church 
may  joyfully  serve  him  in  all  Godly  quietness,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord." 


SUCCESSION  OF  RECTORS  OF  ST.  JAMEs'  PARISH. 


m 


Rev.  Mr.  MarsJen,  from 
Kev.  Mr.  Moir  " 

Rev.  Mr.  McDowell  " 
Rev.  Mr.  Barnctt       " 
J;  Rev.  Mr.  Wills  " 

Rev.  Dr.  Hailing       •' 
Rev.  Dr.  Empio         " 
Rev.  Dr.  JuilJ 
Rev.  Dr.  Enii)in        '. 


173S 
1755 
1705 
1766 
17D5 
1811 
18M 
18IC 


1738 

1 747-8 

1763 

170G 

1776 

1809 

1814 

181G 

1827 


/,. 


Rev.  Mr.  Moltcfrom  Dec.  1837,  to  Juno,  1828 
Rev.  Mr.  Caims,  from  1829  to  1833 
Rev.  Mr.  Davis  .<         ]g33 

Rev.  Mr.  Dranc         "        1536 


1836 
1843 


.V 


•\  U^HL^  tt^  J 


'CJ 


'^-'./f?- &->;/£>   W.'T/C. 


m 


SKETCH    OF 


St.  James's  Parish 


WILMINGTON,   N.    C, 


FROM  TUB  "  HISTOKICAL  NOTICES  ■'  OF  THE 


HEV.   K.   B.   DRANE,    D.  D. 


ENLARGED  AND  unoUGUT  DOWN 
TO  TUE  rnESEKT  TIME 


A    MEMBER    OF    THE    TESTRY. 


JfEW  YOUK: 

E.   J.   HALE   &  SON,   PUBLISHERS, 

MunRAT  Stbeet. 

1874, 


I  .'  » 

m 


{,  :■  ■ 


w 


PREFACE. 


m- 


A  ■*  •■)  n    o 


\v 


Some  months  ago  an  intimate  friend  of  the  writer 
earnestly  solicited  him  to  prepare  a  sketch  of  St  .James's 
Parish,  Wilmington,  N.  C.  It  was  urged  that  sucii  a 
publication  would  be  of  interest  not  only  to  the  Parish, 
but  possibly  to  the  Diocese,  Conscious  of  his  own 
shortcomings,  he  hesitated  for  some  time  before  con- 
senting to  the  undertaking,  but  finally  yielded,  and  the 
result  is  the  present  publication.  He  does  not  claim  for 
it  any  literary  merit,  and  certainly  makes  no  pretensions 
to  the  dignity  of  history  ;  it  is  simply  a  narration  of 
events  connected  with  the  Parish  and  with  our  early 
local  history,  and  interesting,  perhaps,  for  those  rea- 
sons. He  has  used  as  the  basis  of  his  work  the  Historical 
Notices  of  the  Parish,  by  the  late  Rev.  R.  B.  Dranc, 
I).  D.,  published  in  1843,  and  is  indebted  for  his  addi- 
tional statements  to  the  Parish  records,  his  own  recol- 
lections, and  those  of  old  citizens;  and  he  would  hero 
take  occasion  to  tender  his  thanks  particularly  to 
Hon.  Hugh  Waddell,  of  Wilmington,  and  Gov.  Henry  T. 
Clarke,  of  Edgecombe,  for  interesting  information  most 
kindly  imparted  by  them.  He  can  only  regret  not  hav- 
ing made  a  better  use  of  the  materials  furnished  him. 

In  conclusion,  he   desires  to  state   that  he   has  no 


i.:>,]- 


hi'- 


i     I 


I  ■.:  ,i 


1 


^^  rEEFACE. 

pecuniary  interest  i.i  the  publication,  and  that  whatever 
may  be  realized  is  to  be  applied  to  some  charity  of  the 
Church.  Its  compilation  has  been  entirely  a  "  labor  of 
love"  with  Iiim,  and  if  he  has  succeeded  in  awakening 
interest  in  regard  to  the  early  history  of  the  Parish,  or 
in  alTording  gratification  to  any,  it  matters  not  in  how 
slight  a  degree,  he  will  feel  amply  compensated  for  the 
time  and  labor  devoted  to  its  preparation. 


ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH, 

WILMINGTON,   N.  C. 


The  earhest  distmct  information  which  we  have 

*\% !o"'''  ''™''  "^  ^""'^  t°  the  beginnin..  of  the 
year  1738      Thirty  yea>.  before  that^he  rd°  ot 
cond:t:on  of  the  tl,en  Province  of  North  CaroHna  Ind 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  Venerable  Soc^i;    n 
England  for  Propagating  the  Gospel  in  Forei^ni  Parts 
and  several  clergymen  had  been  sent  to  let2 
populous  precincts  of  Roanoke  and  Albemarle     The 
whole  province  had  also  been  divided  into  'twelve 
partshes,  and  several  laws  had  been  passed  by  the 
Colonial  Legislature  for  the  support  of  religion.    But 
t  was  not  until  the  period  above  named  thtt  any  de' 
cis-ve  measures  were  taken  for  planting  the  Church 

Wilmington  (so  called  in  honor  of  Spencer  Comp- 
ton,  who  was  Earl  of  Wilmington  at  that  time,  bJt 

the  n?^  ^  ^"7"  '"  *'-  l"^'-y  °f  the  province  by 
tbe  name  of  Newtown)  consisted  at  that  time  of  only 
a  fw  houses  which  had  been  erected  on  the  banks 

Pii  sh  ^t  T    "'  ^  '^'  P"^P°^^^  °^  ^■-'-     The 
ansfi  of  St  James,  however,  embraced  the  whole  of 

Tanv  '?  T  ^^^'^"''''■y'l^tyto  the  distance  of 
many  miles  m  the  interior,  and  along  the  coast 


}'. 


.V 
1 

r 


[          ■ 

■•    . 

:;„•'"  J! 

'r  f'l  >i 

]'  * 

hM\ 

'I'".,  ;: 

\',f  ■  ii 

•i    '.i.  ]'  '■< 


0  SKETCH   OF   ST.  JAMES'S   PARISH. 

Tlie  first  minister  of  tlic  p:piscopal  Churcli  wlio  is 
known  to  liave  officiated  here  was  the  Eev.  Eicliard 
Marsdon.  In  the  records  of  tlie  Veneralile  Society 
for  1738  it  is  briefly  stated  '■  tliat  i[r.  ilarsden  liad  a 
settlement  in  the  jiarish  (probably  a  plantati.^n),  and, 
being  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  had 
officiated  here  for  several  yeaj:s  past"  The  records 
of  the  Society  also  state  that,  at  the  earnest  solicita- 
tion of  some  of  the  parisliioners,  the  Society  gave  Mr. 
Jlarsden  a  tom])orary  appointment  as  their 'missionary 
to  St.  James,  bnt  before  he  became  fullv  settled 
under  the  seal  of  their  authority  "  they  bet^ame  dis- 
satisfied with  kis  charade;  and  withdrew  the  ap- 
pointment" 

Of  tliis  gentleman,  who  was  the  first  Ei)iscopal 
clergjTnan  settled  on  Cape  Fear,  and  the  first  Rector 
of  St.  James's  Church,  in  Wilmington,  and  against 
whoso  character  the  above  injurious  statemeiu  ap- 
pears, we  have  been  enabled  to  gather  the  followino- 
facts,  through  the  courtesy  of  one  closely  connected 
with  him. 

lyr.  iMars.len  was  for  many  years  chaplain  to  the 
Duko  of  Portland.  The  duke,  like  many  others  of 
li^  day,  was  induced  to  invest  very  largely  in  that 
wdd  speculation  known  as  the  "  South  Sea  Bubble  " 
and  haWng  lost  very  heavily,  the  ministry,  to  assist 
him,  appointed  him  Governor-General  of  Jamaica, 
with  a  salary  of  five  or  si.x  thousand  pounds  (equiva- 
lent to  twenty.five  or  thirty  thousand  dollare)  per 
annum,  which  enabled  him  to  live,  and  put  out  his 


'4 


l-il 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES's  I'AEISH.  7 

estates  "  to  nurse,"  as  it  is  called  in  England.  His 
chaplain,  like  his  patron,  invested  his  small  means  in 
the  same  ill-starred  enterprise,  and,  like  the  duke,  lost 
all  he  invested,  but  with  this  difference,  that  the  duke 
had  estates,  which  at  "  nurse  "  would  in  a  few  years 
reinstate  Ids  broken  fortunes,  while  his  poor  chaplain 
had  nothing  to  fall  back  upon.  The  duke,  therefore, 
urged  Mr.  Marsden,  wlio  still  retained  his  position  of 
chaplain,  to  accompany  him  to  Jamaica,  which  he 
did.  In  three  or  four  years  the  duke's  rent-roll 
cleared  oS  his  embarrassments,  and  he  returned  to 
England.  Mr.  Marsden,  however,  was  induced  by 
some  planters  from  Soiith  Carolina  to  come  to 
Charleston,  with  the  view  of  taking  charge  of  one  of 
the  churches  in  that  city,  but,  either  owing- to  his 
delay,  or  some  other  cause,  when  he  arrived  there  he 
found  the  place  filled  by  another. 

The  intercourse  between  Charleston  and  Wilmin<r- 
ton  was  very  great  in  those  days,  as  Charleston  at 
that  time  was  the  chief  imporiing  city  on  the  continent, 
and  the  friends  of  Mr.  Marsden  in  that  city  hearing 
of  the  purpose  of  the  citizens  of  Wilmington  to  em° 
ploy  a  clergyman,  interested  them-selves  in  havin'^ 
him  called  to  the  place.  ° 

Mr.  Marsden  came  in  due  course  of  time,  under 
some  i)romise  from  the  "  Venerable  Society  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,"  that  he 
would  be  permanently  settled  in  Wilmington.  Ee 
accordingly  officiated  as  Eector  of  St  James's  Parish, 
and  was  the  main  agent  in  having  the  church  built  in 


W 


i;;il- 
W 


>l     .f^':!!! 


r;|.; 


8 


SKETCH  OP  ST.  JAJEES'S  PARISH. 


tliis  place,  whicli  was  called  St  James's  Churcli. 
After  officiating  for  several  yeai's  (a.s  it  was  said  most 
acceptably  to  the  congregati,ju)  some  of  his  vestry 
became  dissatisfied  with  him,  and  made  such  repre- 
sentations to  the  Venerable  Society  as  induced  them 
to  displace  him,  and  the  record  says  it  was  because 
they  were  "  not  satisfied  with  his  character."  It  is, 
we  think,  fair  to  presume  that  the  same  members  of 
the  vestry  who  were  active  in  having  ilr.  Marsden 
dis]ilaced,  were  they  who  caused  this  entry  to  be 
made  u]3on  the  reeonls. 

Now  this  ontiy  did  great  injustice  to  Mr.  Jfarsdcn 
inasmuch  as  it  did  not  sp^ify  the  charges,  but  used 
such  general  jihraseology  as  might  admit  of  the  most 
unjustifiable  imputations,  as,  that  he  was  devoid  of 
moral  pnnciple-or  a  man  of  loose  life-or  dishonest ; 
— m  short,  the  phrase  used  was  capable  of  the  crudest 
construction  which  malignity  might  put  upon  it 

As  an  act  of  simple  justice  to  one  long  gone  to  his 
account,  and  to  many  of  his  descendants  who  are  still 
hvmg,  and  who  might  perhajis  feel  aggrieved  at  this 
imputation  upon  the  character  of  their  ancestor,  we 
.vill  state  what  we  have  always  understood  as  the  true 
version  of  this  unfortunate  passage  in  the  life  of  Mr 
Marsden. 

.llr™',?'  fi''-^t  owner  of  the  plantation  situated 
about  eight  miles  fronr  Wilmington,  called  the  Iler- 
mit^agc  w  ncli  he  improved  with  great  skill  and  taste 

Sad!  ^^^''r/''''"^'*^^''^^-'- ^861,  when  t£ 
Hiad  of  our  Southern  woas  began,  wxs  in  the  posses- 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJIES's  PARISH.  9 

sion  of  the  Burgwin  family,  known  as  the  seat  of 
profuse  and  elegant  hospitality.  It  had  been  the  pro- 
perty of  father,  sons,  and  grandsons,  a  race  as  cele- 
brated for  its  refinement  and  culture,  as  in  some  of  its 
descendants  it  has  been  rendered  illustrious  by  devo- 
tion to  the  cause  of  the  South  on  many  a  bloody 
field,  in  one  of  which  a  field  officer  of  the  race* 
sealed  that  devotion  with  his  life's  blood. 

Mr.  Marsden  was  familiar  with  the  usages  of  re- 
fined society,  and,  being  of  a  somewhat  social  turn 
took  great  delight  in  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hos- 
pitality, and  as  chaplain  to  an  English  duke  of  vast 
wealth,  was  accustomed  to  such  indulgences  of  the 
table  as   were  prevalent  at  that  time  in  England, 
though  certainly  not  so  usual  in  this  colony."  Mr! 
Marsden,  as  we  have  already  stated,  entered  with  zest, 
into  the  customs  of  hospitable  society.     It  was  per- 
haps his  weakness,  but  surely  not  an  unamiable  one 
lie  delighted  in  social  gatherings,  and  frequently  gave 
dinner  parties  at  his  home,  as  was  the  custom  among 
the  gentlemen  of  tliose  days.  Some  one,  perhaps  one  of 
those  who  thus  enjoyed  liis  hospitality,  took  occasion 
to  report  to  the  Venerable  Society  that.  Mr.  Marsden 
was  in  the  habit  of  drinking  too  much  wine  at  his 
own  dinner  table.     It  is  believed  that  this  was  the 
head  and  front  of  his  offending."       It  ^vas   not 
charged,  or  even  insinuated,  that  he  was  ever  in  a- 
condition  that  unfitted  him  for  the  discharge  of  any 

*  General   Goorso  Burgwin  An.lcr.,on,  wounded  in   battle,   and 
Who  died  from  tlio  offeols  of  Jiis  wound. 


J.. I     . 


m 


10 


SKETCH  UF  ST.  JAJIES's  PARISH. 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH. 


11 


■of  the  duties  of  liis  oflice,  Imt  on]y  tli.it  lie  indulged 
in  a  style  of  living  to  wliicli  ho  liiul  been  .iccustomod 
in  Engl.ind,  and  which  was  universally  prevalent  in 
this  country  in  the  higher  circles  of  society. 

His  case  not  only  shows  how  necessary  it  is  that  a 
clergyman  should  be  very  watchful  over  his  own 
kabits  and  manner  of  life,  lest  he  should  give  occasion 
to  the  adversary  against  himself,  but  also  how  neces- 
saiy  it  is  to  specifi/  the  chai'gcs  against  any  real  or 
sujiposed  culin-it,  so  as  to  leave  nothing  to  the  insin- 
uations of  the  thoughtless  or  malicious  in  after  times. 

As  an  incident  of  some  local  interest  perhaps  in 
this  sketch  of  Mr.  Mar.sdeii,  we  m.ay  add  that  one  of 
Lis  daughters  married  an  English  gentleman  of  the 
name  of  Thomas  Il.aynos,  who,  soon  after  his  mar- 
riage, jiurchased  and  settled  a  plantation  near  the 
Ileimitage,  which  lie  improved  very  highly,  and  upon 
which  he  erected  a  fine  building  called  by  hiin  Castle 
Haynes.  now  constantly,  but  ineorreetly,  known  as 
Castle  Ilaync.  This  error  has  probably  arisen  from 
a  su]-)position  that  it  was  once  the  property  of  one  of 
the  distinguished  f.amily  of  that  name  in  South  Caro- 
lina. But  the  name  is  different;  besides  which, 
Thomas  Ilapies  had  no  later.al  relations  in  America. 
His  own  descendants  are  confined  to  one  family— the 
Waddells  of  the  Cape  Fear,  who  are  also  the  only 
descendants  of  Mr.  Marsden. 

The  person  appointed  in  the  ])laoe  of  Mr.  Marsden 
^vas  the  Eev.  Mr.  Moir.  This  gentleman  had  pre- 
viously served  as  a  missionary  in  South  Carolina,  and 


n 


m 


brought  with  him  strong  testimonials  from  the  Com- 
missary, and  other  clergy  of  that  province,  as  "a  per- 
son of  good  life  and  learning  "—a  character  which  he 
fully  sustained  during  a  mini.stiy  of  ten  years  in  the 
service  of  the  jiarish. 

The  first  record  of  Mr.  Moir's  ministry  in  that 
place  is  found  in  a  letter  of  his  to  the  Venerable 
Society,  dated  "Wilmington,  October  29,  1740.  It 
states  "  that  through  God's  blessing  he  had  anived 
safe  at  his  mission  in.  the  month  of  May  preceding, 
and  had  travelled  over  most  parts  of  it,  which  ex- 
tended a  hundred  miles  along  the  coast— that  he 
found  the  inhabitants  so  scattered  it  would  be  impos- 
sible to  minister  to  them  as  he  could  wish— that  the 
generality  of  the  people  were  very  ignorant,  but 
seemed  willing  to  b.e  instructed,  which  had  greatly 
encouraged  him  in  his  labors,  and  that  up  to  that 
time  he  had  baptized  two  hundred  and  ten  children 
in  his  travels  among  them." 

In  a  second  letter,  dated  ilay  25tli,  1741,  Mr.  Moir 
informed  the  Society  that  he  had  twice  travelled  over 
the  country  between  the  Cajio  Fear  and  Neuse  Eivers, 
<ind  performed  the  duties  of  his  sacred  office,  praying, 
preaching,  and  administering  the  sacraments— that 
since  his  last  report  he  had  baptized  three  hundred 
and  thirteen  children  and  three  adults,  but  the  nuni-  ' 
ber  of  communicants  was  very  small,  the  people  being 
ignorant  of  religion  to  the  last  degree." 

In  the  year  1742,  the  Venerable  Society,  finding  it 
impossible  to  obtain  a  clergyman  for  each,  resolved  to 


i 


L^; 


12 


SKETCH  OF  ST.   JAJIES'S   PARISn. 


unite  the  i)nrisli  with  tliat  of  St.  Phih])  in  Brunswick, 
and  the  two  iilnecs  continued  for  several  years  to  form 
one  mission,  under  tlio  care,  of  tlie  Rev.  Mr.  ^[oir.  The 
first  letter  of  tlie  missionary  after  thc'cliange,  which 
is  dated  at  Brunswick-,  1743,  states,  "that  during  the 
preceding  year  lie  had  received  into  the  Church  by 
baptism  live  hundred  an<l  (ifty-six  cliildren,  besides- 
seven  adults,  and  tluif  he  had  also  administered  the 
Holy  Communion,  at  his  various  stations,  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  poreons." 

In  the  same  letter,  by  way  of  showing  the  state  of 
religion  in  his  charge,  he  mentions,  "  that  at  least  one 
hundred  of  the  children  whom  he  had  baptized  were 
between  five  and  seven  years  of  aga"  In  the  same 
connection  he  also  complains  of  "  the  difHculties  and 
discouragements  which  he  daily  met  with  in  the  dis- 
charge of  his  sacred  functions;"  sometimes  through 
fatigue  and  hazard  of  travelling,  and  at  others  through 
the  mahcc  and  pervcrsencss  of  those  with  whom  he 
had  to  do."  He  concludes  his  letter,  however,  with 
the  expression  of  his  determination  to  persevere  in 
the  discharge  of  l,is  duties,  adding  the  charitable 
hope,  "that  God  wouhl,  in  his  own  good  time,  tura 
the  hearts  of  these  di.sobcdicnt  children  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  just." 

In  the  following  year  (1744)  Mr.  Moir  again  writes-, 
to  the  Venerable  Society.  His  letter  states  "that, 
during  the  preceding  year  he  had  been  constantly 
preaclung  and  officiating  at  his  stations,  and  that  he: 
lifid  baptized  two  hundred  and  seventy  children  and 


SKETCH  OP   ST.  JAMES'S  PAEISII. 


13 


i 


.■I 


lour  adults,  after  proper  instruction.  In  the  same 
letter  he  complains  that  his  health  had  become  much 
impaired  by  the  severity  of  his  labors,  and  doubts 
■whether  he  shall  be  able  much  longer  to  bear  the 
hardships  of  his  most  difheult  mission." 

The  next  notice  of  this  worthy  minister  is  found  in 
the  Venerable  Society's  abstract  for  1745.  It  is  there 
stated,  "that  the  Kcv.  Mr.  Moir,  the  senior  missionary 
in  North  Carolina,  continues  veiy  diligent  in  his 
laborious  stations,  preaching  publicly  and  from  house 
to  house  repentance  towards  God  and  faith  in  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ;  and  that  by  the  saci-ament  of  Ijap- 
tism  he  had  admitted  into  the  Cliurch,  during  tlie 
preceding  year,  four  hundred  and  eighty  white  and 
twenty  negro  cliildren,  besides  several  adults." 

The  diligence  of  this  devoted  minister  in  this  place 
find  the  surrounding  country  secured  to  him  the 
warm  and  grateful  attachment  of  many  to  whom  he 
ministered.  As  an  evidence  of  their  gratitude  for  his 
services,  the  congregation  of  St.  James  forwarded  to 
the  Venerable  Society,  about  tliis  time,  a.  letter  of 
thanks,  from  which  we  make  the  following  extract : 
"  We  esteem  ourselves  most  happy  under  the  pastoral 
care  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Moir.  He  hath,  to  the  great 
comfort  and  edification  of  our  families,  and  these 
dark  and  distant  regions  of  the  worid,  prosecuted  the 
duties  of  his  calling  with  the  utmost  application  and 
diligence,  adorned  his  character  with  an  exemplary 
hfe  and  conversation,  shewing  unoorruptness,  gravity 
and  sound  speech,  so  that  they  wlio  are  of  the  con- 
trary part  have  no  evil  thing  to  say  of  him." 


r^r 


14 


SKETCH   OF   ST.   JA:)rES'S  PARISn. 


;'fji )  1 


Tho  time,  liowovcr,  had  now  conic  \vl\cn  the  people 
of  the  parish  were  to  part  with  their  faithful  shep- 
herd. In  a  letter,  under  date  of  October  9th,  1747, 
after  acknowledging  tlic  receipt  of  a  small  gratuit}'  of 
£10  from  his  friends  in  England,  and  stating  his  offi- 
cial acts  for  the  year,  which  included  the  bapti.sm  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  children,  besides  sev- 
eral adults,  Jfr.  M.  informs  the  Society  "that  tho 
impaired  condition  of  his  health  would  no  longer  jier- 
mit  him  to  remain  on  tho  Cape  Fear,  and  that  he 
should  either  go  to  St.  :^[ary's  Parish,  in  Edgecombe 
county,  or  avail  himself  of  the  earliest  opportunity  of 
a  passage  to  London."  Wo  are  unable  to  ascertain 
with  certainty  which  alternative  was  adopted ;  the 
more  probable  conjecture  is  tliat  he  remained  in  the 
province.  His  name  is  found  on  the  Society's  list  of 
missionaries  in  North  Carolina  as  late  as  the  year 
1765,  and  his  location  is  St.  Marys,*  Edgecombe 
county,  where,  it  is  probable,  he  died. 

Of  such  a  man  it  is  natural  to  regn-et  that  more  can- 
not be  known.  Though  fitted  by  his  talents  and  edu- 
cation for  distinction  in  his  native  land,  he  seems  to 
have  given  himself  literally  to  the  service  of  tlie 
Church  in  this  distant  countr)- ;  and  had  he  accom- 
phslicd  no  more  than  what  we  have  gleaned  for  the 
foregoing  pages  from  the  imperfect  chronicles  of  the 
past,  he  would  have  left  behind  him  a  reputation  well 

*  St.  M.nry's  was  tlio  first  house  of  worship  erected  in  Edgecombe 
County^  It  ,v=s  located  at  Chapel  Bridge,  on  Tar  river,  eight  miles 
above  Tarboro. 


i 


U' 


SKETCH  OP  ST.  JAMES's  PAIilSH.  15 

worthy  the  minister  of  Ilim  "  who  gave  His  life  a- 
ransom  for  many."* 

Up  to  tlie  year  1751,  the  congxegation  in  this  town 
had  used  the  County  Court  House  as  a  place  of  public 
worship,  for  want  of  a  more  suitable  place.  At  this 
time  steps  were  taken  toward  meeting  this  want. 
Among  those  who  contributed  to  this  object  the  name 
of  Michael  Iliggins  dcsen-es  a  grateful  remembrance. 
He  was  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  Wilmington,  a 
faithful  and  well  tried  friend  of  the  Church,  and  to 
his  bounty  the  congregation  are  indebted  for  the 
ground  which  for  so  many  years  fonned  the  last  rest- 
ing place  of  their  departed  relatives  and  friends. 

The  lotwliich  he  gave  on  the  comer  of  Market  and 
Fourth  streets  not  being  sufficiently  large  for  the 
double  purpose  of  a  church  edifice  and  "a  burying 
ground,  the  Legislature  of  the  province  passed  an  act, 
by  which  the  vestry  were  authorized  to  use  thirty 
feet  of  Market  street  for  the  front  of  the  church  ;  and 
this  will  account  for  the  location  of  the  old  building, 
which  was  removed  in  1889.  Tliis  act,  which  is  the 
first  found  on  record  touching  tlie  parish,  may  be 
seen  at  large  in  Martin's  collection  of  the  private  laws- 
of  the  State,  and  bears  date  XXV  Geo.,  1751. 

^  The  commissioners  named  for  carrving  its  pro- 
visions into  efTect  were  Samuel  Swann,  Joseph 
Blake,  William  Faris,  John  Sampson,  Lewis  De^ 
Rosset  and  John    Ashe,  members  of  his   Majesty's 

*  In  1760-61  Rev.  James  lloir  was  one  of  the  Commissioners  for 
laying  out  the  town  of  Tarboro,  where  he  resided. 


him::-: 


i'M: 


1-  :• 


l.'M'.i;i'-' 


t  .«. 


.-.iii  r.  • 


1V>  ,-. 


16 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   JAMES'S  PARISH. 


<M 


Council.  It  appears  from  tlic  preamble  of  the  above 
act  that  the  church  was  expected  to  be  built  bj'  the 
voluntarj-  subscriptions  of  the  parishionei-s. 

There  occurs,  howevei-,  about  this  time,  the  record 
of  an  additional  source  of  revenue  to  the  commission- 
ers, sufHciontly  singular  to  demand  a  passing  notice. 
A  number  of  Sjianish  privateers,  availing  themselves 
of  the  defenceless  condition  of  the  Cape  Fear,  liad,  in 
1749,  entered  the  river  and  committed  considerable 
depredations  upon  the  inhabitants.  The  people  of 
the  surrounding  country  hastily  collected  and 
made  an  attack  upon  them.  During  the  action 
one  of  these  piratical  vessels  was  blown  up  and  cap- 
tured, and  a  number  of  valuable  effects  taken  out  of 
the  wreck.  The  proceeds  of  this  property  were  after- 
-svards  applied  to  the  building*  of  the  churches  in 
"^''ilmington  and  Brunswick. 

Among  the  curious  things  found  in  this  pirate  was 
an  "  Ecce  Homo,"  a  painting  of  the  Saviour  in  one  of 
the  scenes  of  His  passion,  as  described  by  St  John  in 
the  19th  chapter  and  5th  verse.  Strange  that  such 
a  picture  should  be  found  in  a  vessel  of  that  charac- 

*  Amoug  oilier  acts  of  tlio  Gcueral  Assembly  of  Xortli  CaroliDa 
in  reference  to  the  building  of  the  church  in  St.  James's  Parish, 
■VTilmingtou,  >:.  C.  will  be  found  one  passed  in  1760,  authorizing  a 
lottery  to  raise  money  to  build  the  church,  and  appropriating  the 
elTects  of  this  Spanish  vessel  to  the  some  object.  The  resort  to  lot- 
teries for  such  a  purpose  may  seem  strange  and  immoral  at  the  pre- 
sent day,  but  it  was  very  common  at  that  time  for  all  purposes:  for 
schools,  libraries,  internal  improvements,  and  many  private  enter- 
prises. 


I  i 


[  i 


SKETCH   OP  ST.   JAJIES'S  PARLSH.  17 

ter.*  This  painting  is  still  preserved  in  tlio  vestry 
room  of  the  clmrch,  and  has  been  pronounced  by 
some  who  are  ju.lgcs  in  such  matters  to  be  a  work  of 
considerable  merit. 

How   soon   the   commissioners  entered   upon    the 
•work  with  which  they  were  charged  we  have  now  no 
means  of  ascertaining     Of  their  j^ror^res,,  however 
we  m.ay  form  some  idea  from  the  fact,  that  the  same 
statute  book  which  contains  the  record  of  their  ap- 
pointment, contains  another  act  of  the  Colonial  As- 
sembly, bearing  date  XI,  Geo.  Ill,   1770,  ch    xiii  ' 
appointing  the  Hon.  Lewis  DeRosset  and  Frederick 
Gregg,   Esq.,  commissioners   in    the    place  of    John 
Dubois  and  George  Wakel^-  deceased,  forfinishinr,  the 
clmrch  m  Wilmington.     Hence  it  would  apj.eai^that 
at  least  nineteen  years  must  have  elapsed  from  the 
commencement  to  the  completion  of  the  first  parish 
church  of  St.  James. 

This  tardiness  in  providing  themselves  with  one  of 
tlie  first  requisites  for  the  decent  worehip   of  God 
may  seem  to  some  not  to  argue  very  favorably  for     ' 
tlie  religious  zeal  of  our  ancestors;  but  it  should  be    ' 
remembered,  that  the  congi'cgation  at  that  day  was 
ranch  smaller  than  at  j.resent,  and  that  their  resources 
were  proportionately  still  more  scanty.     It  .should  be 
noted  that  much  of  this  time  the  people  were  without . 
a  clergyman  to  animate  and  encourage  them  in  their     ' 
work.     We' have  seen  that  the  Key.  .Mr.  Jfoix  left      ' 

•  It  had  probably  been  stolen  from  some  church  in  one  of  their     ' 
maraudmg.  descents  upon  the  South  American  or  West  Indian  coasts 
2  . 


!'■•: 

:!■■:' 


Ji    ■  ■■•'■  I  (■■ 

r,  ■■   '    ,1  ■■  "■ 


I 


18 


I    !'.■ 


SKETCH  OF  ST.   JAME.S'S  PARISH. 


this  ]ilaoc  in  1747-8.  Seven  yoar.s  at  least  must  have 
elapsed  before  his  plaee  was  sni)i)lieil. 

The  person  selected  as  the  successor  of  Mr.  i[oir 
was  the  Kev.  ilr.  McDowfll.  Our  information  of 
tlii.s  fact  is  derived  from  the  records  of  the  Venerable 
Society  for  1755.  It  is  there  brielly  stated  "  that  the 
Eev.  Mr.  McPowell,  wlio  had  been  put  into  orders  last 
year,  at  Genrge  Dolibs's  request,  is  fi.xed  at  Wilming- 
ton, tlic  largest  town  in  the  province,  where  he  is  dili- 
gently employed  iu  his  sacred  oilice,  and  much 
esteemed  by  his  parishionei'.s." 

About  this  time  the  jiarish  received  from  the 
Veneraljle  Society  a  valuable  donation  of  Bibles, 
Prayer  Books,  and  other  I'oligious  publications,  for 
distribution  among  the  people.  Among  them  were 
two  valuable  oL:l  volumes,  bearing  on  their  antiquated 
covers  the  royal  arms  of  England,  and  marked  as 
"  the  gift  of  his  Eoyal  Highness  George,  Prince  of 
Wales,"  afterwards  King  Gcoi-ge  the  Third.  A  few 
of  these  books  still  remain  in  the  library  of  the 
l^ari.sli. 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  we  Icnow  but  little  of 
the  progress  of  the  parish  undei-  the  ministry  of  the 
Rev.  Mr.  McDowell.  From  the  brief  abstract  of  the 
Venenible  Society  (our  only  source  of  iufoi-mation), 
we  learn  that  they  regarded'  him  as  a  "  highly  useful 
and  faithful  laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Master, 
and  well  worthy  of  tlic  station  wliich  he  held."  This 
estimate  of  his  character  appears  fully  sustained  by 
the  fact,  that,  like  his  worthy  predecessor,  he  ex- 


SKETCH  OP  ST.   JAMES'S  PARISH.  ]9 

tended  his  labors  to  every  part  of  his  large  mission 
flnd  that  in  the  more  remote  congregations  of  his 
charge  he  cstablishe<l  lay  reading,  to  supplv  that  lack 
of  ,-^orv.ce  which  his  own  numerous  duties  rendered 
nnjiracticable  to  himself. 

lie  api>cars  to  have  continued  his  residence  in 
Wilmmoton  uj)  to  the  year  1760,  wheir.  at  the  in- 
stance of  Governor  Uobbs,  he  was  removed  to  Bruns- 
wick, still,  however,  giving  a  portion  of  his  time  to 
the  congregation  here.  Mr.  McDowell  remained  on 
tlie  mission  until  the  autumn  of  1763,  when  he  fell  a 
victim  to  the  sickness  incident  to  the  country,  and 
passed,  as  we  may  hope,  from  the  sceue  of  his  carthly 
labors  to  reaj)  their  reward  in  a  better  world. 

Tradition  reports  that  he  was  buried  at  his  own 
request  beneath  the  altar  of  the  saiictuarv  in  which 
he  mmistcred-thus,  in  death  as  in  life,  still  clinginr, 
to  the  Church.  That  sanctuary  has  long  been  a  neg° 
locted  ruin— trees  larger  than  those  of  the  surrounding 
forest  ha^'e  grown  iq)  within  its  roofless  walls,  and 
where  long  years  ago  the  voice  of  praise  and  thanks- 
giving ascended  up  on  high,  a  solemn  stillne-ss  reigns, 
broken  only  by  the  night-owl's  screech,  or  the  whip- 
poorwill's  ])laintive  cry.  The  grave  of  the  missionary 
IS  undistinguislied  from  those  of  the  numerous  con- 
gregation of  the  (lead  sleeping  arcjund  him.  Time  has 
long  since  levelled  the  incumbent  sod,  and  no  stone 
was. erected  to  mark  the  spot  where  his  ashes  repose. 
But  a  nobler  monument  to  McDowell  than  marble 
or  brass  could  supply  is  around  us  and  before  us. 


■  viii]" 


;♦  '! 

■  u  ■■ 

U 

;i  ri, 


Aiil-. 


V*-:  <    J; 


•20 


SICETCII   OF  ST.   JAMES'S  PAKISII. 


It  is  seen  in  the  prevalence  ami  liappj'  influence  of 
that  religion  for  the  establishment  of  which  lie  gave 
np  his  life.  This  will  stand  when  all  earthl}-  monu- 
ments have  perished  and  (lassed  away;  nor  could  the 
graveyard  of  an  abbey  furnish  a  rnoi-c  honoiable 
epitaph  for  him  than  that  siiii])le  jihrase  of  one  of  the 
letters  which  amiounced  his  death  to  the  Venerable 
Society,  in  whose  sci'vico  he  died  :  "  lie  was  a  good 
man — faithful  in  his  sacred  office,  and  well  deserved 
to  Ije  a  niissiiinarv.'' 

In  the  following  year  (17C4)  the  Governor  of  the 
Province  wrote  to  the  "^^eiierablc  Society  in  England, 
"that  since  the  death  of  Mr.  McDowell  there  were 
only  six  mis.^ionaries  in  North  Carolina."  He  earn- 
estly entreated  that  one  might  be  sent  a.s  early  as 
possible  to  sujiply  the  vacancy  at  Brunswick,  and 
also  a  clergyman  for  the  parish  of  St.  James,  to 
reside  in  ^Vilmington.  A  similar  apjilieation  was 
made  about  the  same  time  by  the  Wardens  and 
Vestry  of  St.  James  to  the  Eishoj)  of  London. 

The  result  of  these  applications  was  that  in  the 
following  year,  1765,  the  Hev.  Mr.  Barnett,  "strongly 
recommended  by  jiersons  both  in  England  iTnd 
America,  was  ajipointed  by  the  Venerable  Society  as 
their  missionary  at  Wilmington  and  Brunswick,  to 
ofnciate  at  these  places  alternately  as  his  Excellency 
Governor  Tryon*  might  think  proper  to  direct."  The 
first  year  Mr.  Barnett  appears  to  liave  resided  in  the 

*  This  was  that  Governor  Trjon  who  was  called  by  the  Indians 
the  "Groat  Wolf  of  Carolina." 


SKETCH  OF  ST.   JAJVIES'S  PARISH.  21 

parish  of  St.  James  ;  but  in  the  next  he  was  removed 
to  Brunswick— continuing,  however,  like  his  prede- 
cessor, to  extend  his  services  to  the  more  remote  con- 
grcgixtions  embraced  in  the  mission. 

This  .arrangement  continued  until  the  sprint  of 
1766,  when  the  Vestry  of  St.  James  .succeeded  in 
securing  the  services  of  a  clergyman  devoted  exclu- 
sively to  their  own  parish.  This  person  was  the  Rev 
John  Wills. 

He  arrived  in  Wilmington  some  time  earlv  in  the 
year  1766,  and  continued  to  ofTiciate  for  this  parish 
(,-|  with  great  acoeptanoe  for  about  ten  years.  A  record 
of  Mr.  Wills's  original  agreement  with  the  Vestry  is 
still  in  e.x:istence,  and  as  the  contract  between  the 
partie.1  may  be  a  subject  of  some  curiosity  to  church- 
men of  the  present  day,  we  copy  it  herewith. 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry  of  the  Parish  of  St. 
J.ames,  held  at  the  Court  House  in  Wilmington,  on 
the  16th  d.ay  of  April,  1766,  present,  Willianr  Camp- 
bell and  John  Devane,  Church  Wardens,  and  the  Hon. 
Lewis  DeRosset,  Cornelius  Harnett,  Arthur  ifabson, 
William  Campbell  and  William  Edward,  vestrymen  :' 
Agreed  with  Rev.  John  Wills  to  allow  liim  £185 
proc.  money  for  one  year's  salary  and  house  hire,  eom- 
moneing  from  Easter  Monday,  and  ending  Easter 
Monday  in  the  ye.ar  1767,  to  officiate  as  minister  of 
said  parish  in  Wilmington  eighteen  Sundays  during 
said  time;  at  the  Sound  six  Sundays;  at  Rooky 
Point  six  Sundays  ;  at  Long  Creek,  six  Sundays;  a"t 
Black  River,  six  Sundays ;  and  at  Welsh  Tract,   six 


mi'- 


b-:W'-- 


t'!(j 


II"  I 


22 


SICETCII  OF  ST.  JAJIES'S  PARISH. 


Sundays — tlic  rcin.ainiiig  four  Sundays  at  liis  dis])osal. 
Tlio  niinistci-  to  givo  timely  notice  in  writing  of  tlic 
places  lie  intends  to  pvcacli  at." 

This  progi-ainme  of  the  parson's  labors  shews  ns, 
indeed,  that  he  held  "plnralitics"  lierc:  but  those 
only  who  know  the  histor}-  and  value  of  pi-oc.  money 
can  form  any  idea  of  the  extent  of  his  revenues. 
From  the  acco\mts  that  wc  have  of  Mr.  Wills  he  ap- 
pears to  have  been  happily  constituted  for  the  times 
in  whicli  lie  lived  and  the  sphere  of  his  labors.  He 
is  represented  as  a  man  of  a  highly  finished  educa- 
tion, spriglitly  and  engaging  in  his  manners,  and  pecu- 
liarly forcible  and  solemn  in  his  public  ministrations. 

We  possess  no  mateiials  from  which  to  judge  of 
the  progress  of  the  Church  during  the  ministry  of  itr. 
Wills.  His  ofhcial  records,  if  he  kept  any,  have 
either  l.ieen  lost  or  were  carried  away  with  him  when 
he  resigned  his  charge.  In  tlie  year  1770  the  Vener- 
able Society  made  him  a  gratuity  of  £30,  in  token  of 
their  appreciation  of  his  services,  and  about  the  same 
time  the  parish  received  from  the  same  source  an  ad- 
ditional donation  of  Bibles  and  other  books  of  in- 
struction and  devotion. 

The  only  matter  of  interest  found  on  the  records  of 
the  Vestry  at  that  time  is  a  bi-ief  correspondence  be- 
tween tlieinselves  and  the  Governor  of  the  [province, 
touching  the  induction  or  institution  of  Mr.  Wills, 
which,  as  affording  some  .slight  indication  of  the  tem- 
per of  the  times,  we  will  liere  lay  before  the  reader. 
The  firet  is  a  letter  from  the  Governor  to  the  Vestry  : 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJIES'S  PARISH. 


23 


m' 


Brunswick,  9lh  Felruary,  1770. 

Gentlemen— A.S  the  Kev.  Mr.  Wills,  who  has 
been  long  a  resident  among  you,  expi-esses  a  desire  of 
settling  in  your  parish,  I  am  to  acrpudnt  you  that  I 
].)roposo  giving  him  letters  of  presentation  and  hidue- 
tion  thereto.  I  would,  therefore,  be  glad  to  hear 
from  you,  gentlemen,  whether  there  are  any  objec- 
tions to  Mr.  Wills  in  the  duties  of  his  .sacred  ofUce. 

I  am,  gentlemen,  your  obedient  servant, 

Willi  A  j[  Tryo.v. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry,  held  on  10th  M.ay,  in 
the  same  year,  it  was  ordered  tliat  the  Chui-ch  Wai-dens 
return  the  following  answer  to  the  letter  of  his  Excel- 
lency the  Governor ; 

Wilmington,,  11  i/j  May,  1770. 

Sir— We  are  directed  by  the  Vestry  of  St,  James's 
Parish  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  Excel- 
lency's favor  of  the  9th  February  last,  in  answer  to 
which  we  are  desired  to  inform  your  Excellency  that 
they  are  very  well  satisfied  to  emi)loy  Mi;  Wills  in 
the  parish  as  usual,  since  he  is  a  gentleman  every 
way  worthy  of  his  sacred  function.  But  tliei/  cannot 
agree  to  Ms  being  inducted  into  the  parisJi,  as  they  humbly 
conceive,  from  the  best  information  they  can  procure,  thai 
no  power  of  presentation  or  induction  is  lodged  in  the 
Crown  by  any  act  of  the  Assembly  of  this  province. 

Your  Excellency's  most  obedient  and  very  liumble 
seiTants,  John  Ancruji,  \    Church 

William  Wilkinson,  )   Wardens. 


%mi: 


'HUl-w 


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li^W!'. 


%'^-i 


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■II 


2-t 


SIvETCII  OF  ST.   JAMES'S   PAIIISH. 


To  the  foregoing  letter  tlic  Vestry  rceeived  tlio  fol- 
lowing reply  : 

New  Beuxe,  Jid;/  nth.  1770. 
GENTLE:»tEX— I  hnxQ  IkuI  the  satisf.ictiou  to  re- 
ceive by  your  direction  a  letter,  ilateil  .May  lltli,  from 
iIe.sRr.s.  Aneruni  and  Wilkinson,  the  Churoli  Wardens 
of  St.  James's  Parish,  wherein  the  llcv.  A[r.  Wills  is 
declared  to  be  a  gentleman  worthy  of  his  sacred 
function.  In  consideration,  therefore,  of  snoli  honor- 
able testimonial  and  Mr.  Willss  desire  to  receive  let- 
ters of  presentation  and  induction  for  your  jnirish,  I 
have  eomplieil  with  sucli  desire,  I'einaiiiing  un.lcr  the 
clearest  conviction  that  I  have  a  full  right  .so  to  do, 
an.l  whicli  I  esteem  it  my  Ijonnden  dnty  to  perform.' 
Finding,  however,  from  the  above  mentioned  letter 
th.at  "  you  conceive,  from  the  best  information  you 
c-an  jirocure,  that  no  power  of  presentation  or  induc- 
tion is  lodged  in  the  Crown  by  any  act  of  the  As- 
sembly of  this  province,"  I  have  this  favor,  gentle- 
men.  to  request  of  yon,  that  you  will  continue  to 
extend  your  good  offices  and  friendly  attentions  to 
Mr.  Wdls  until  a  better  title  to  presentation  and  in- 
duction can  bo  set  up  iuid  established  than  what  I 
claim  under  the  Crown. 

I  am,  gentlemen,  your    most  obedient  and   very 
humble  .servant,  William  Tuyox 

To  the  Vestry  of  St.  ) 

James's  Parish.      ) 

The  following  answer  to  the  above  was  ordered  bv 
the  Vestry :  •^ 


t. ;} 


SKBTCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH. 


25 


WiLMlNGTOX,  November  28th,  1770. 
May  it  please  your  Exgellexcy— By  direc- 
tion of  the  Vestry  of  St.  James's  Parish,  we  are  to 
Jicknowlcdge  the  receijit  of  your  favor  to  them  of  the 
17th  July  last,  and  to  inform  yo\i  that  the3',  as  well 
in  regard  to  your  Excellency's  instance  as  to  Mr. 
Wills's  merits,  will  continue  their  good  offices  and 
friendly  notice  of  him.  We  are,  with  respect,  your 
Excellency's  most  obedient  and  humble  servants, 

John-  ANCRUir,*  )     Church 

William  Wilki.vsox,  f  Wardens. 

This  letter  closed  the  correspondence  between  the 
Vestry  and  Governor  touching  the  matter  of  present- 
ation and  induction.  Its  exclusively  political  bearing 
is  obvious,  and  exhibits  that  jealousy  at  the  Ica.s^ 
attempt  to  infringe  upon  their  rights,  and  that  deter- 
mination to  maint.ain  them,  which  .so  signally  charac- 
terized the  pcoj)le  of  this  region  in  the  days  '•  that 
tried  men's  souls." 

According  to  the  English  law,  the  right  of  present- 
-ntion  and  induction  belongs  origin.ally  to  the  Crown 
in  those  cases  only  where  a  church  or  ch.ipel  is  built 
or  endowed  at  the  expense  of  the  Crown.     This  was 

■*  The  tomb  of  Jolin  Ancrum,  ono  of  tho  parties  to  tlio  .ibove  cor- 
reapondenoo,  is  still  to  bo  seon  at  Old  Brunswick,  whore  lio  was 
turiod.  It  is  in  a  good  state  of  preservation,  but  tho  lettering  on 
tho  marble  slab  is  sadly  defaced  hy  time  and  exposure  to  the  elo- 
merits.  During  the  war  of  the  Revolution  he  was,  for  a  long 
period,  chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Vigilance  of  tho  town  of 
Wilmington, 


siiU  ■■ 


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it''"'  f 

whmt 

Pi ■  is? r.!  t' 


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, 

1 

';,,' 

1!' 

j! 

(,')■■, 

20 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   JjUIES's  PARISH. 


SICETCH  OF   ST.  JAJEES'S  rARISH. 


27 


not  the  ease  liei-e — the  church  in  that  ]iarish  was 
built  and  sustained  by  the  peojilc:  the  claim,  there- 
fore, set  up  in  this  instance  bv  the  Governor,  as  the 
representative  of  the  Crown,  was  clearly  illegal,  and 
very  projierly  resisted  by  the  Vestry. 

This  controversy  does  not  a]ipcar  to  have  jiroduced 
any  change  of  fechng  in  the  ])arish  towards  Mr.  Wills. 
Though  a  loyalist,  ami  consequently  agreeing  in 
opinion  with  the  Governor,  his  deportment  was  so 
exemplary  and  his  ministrations  so  universally  ac- 
ceptable, that  he  ]iot  only  escai)ed  censure,  but 
retained  in  a  high  degree  the  afl'ections  of  the  people 
as  long  as  he  remained  among  them. 

The  last  Vestry  meeting  held  under  the  Colonial 
Government,  of  which  we  have  any  account,  was  in 
December,  1775.  Among  the  proceedings  on  that 
occasion  we  find  the  following:  "  Onlercd,  that  the 
Church  Wardens  of  St.  James's  parish  join  with  the 
Colonel  of  the  Now  Hanover  Ecgiment  and  the 
Pai-son  of  said  jiarish,  to  i-eceive  the  legacy  of  the  late 
Hon.  James  Innis,-'  deceased,  and  that  they  hire  out 
the  slaves  ami  take  care  of  the  other  property  as  they 
maj^  see  best." 

This  bccpicstof  C<;lonel  Innis  was  not  to  the  parish 
of  St  James,  as  might  naturally  be  inferred  from  the 
*  Colonel  Janios  Innis  lived  at  a  place  al.ont  ten  miles  from  -Wil- 
mington, called  Point  Pleasant.  He  was  verv  prominent  in  the  old 
eolon.al  times,  and  wlien  tliis  will  was  drawn  was  in  command,  at 
■ft  inclu-sler,  Va.,  of  all  llie  troops  raised  by  the  States  of  North 
Carolina  and  Virginia,  wliich  wore  intended  to  operate  against  thft 
French  and  Indians  on  the  Ohio. 


above  record,  but  for  the  purpose  of  establishing  a 
school  for  the  youth  of  the  State.  The  bequest  is  in 
these  words,  which  we  copy  from  his  will :  "  I  also 
give  and  bequeath  two  negro  young  women,  one 
negro  young  man,  and  their  increase,  all  the  stock  of 
cattle  and  hogs,  half  the  stock  of  horses  bclongnng  to 
my  plantation,  with  all  my  books,  and  one  hundred 
,,^  pounds  sterling,  for  the  use  of  a  free  school  for  the 

||  benefit  of  the  youth  of  North  Carolina ;  and  to  see 

that  this  part  of  my  will  be  duly  executed  at  the 
time,  I  appoint  the  Colonel  of  the  New  Hanover 
Regiment,  the  Parson  of  the  Wilmington  Church,  and 
the  Vestry  for  the  time  being,  or  the  majority  of  them, 
as  they  shall  from  time  to  time  be  chosen  or  ap- 
pointed." 

Our  narrative  has  now  brought  us  down  to  the 
commencement  of  the  war  of  the  Revolution,  the  dis- 
astrous effects  of  which  upon  the  Church  in  this 
country  were  long  and  sevei'ely  felt  In  the  popular 
mind  the  Episcopal  Church  had  long  been  identified 
with  the  government  of  the  mother  country.  Hos- 
tility to  the  mca,sures  of  that  government  would, 
therefore,  very  naturally  run  into  a  hostility  to  the 
Church, 

The  effect  of  this  feeling  on  such  of  the  colonial 
clergy  as  remained  loyal  was  embarrassing  in  the 
extreme.  "  Taken  as  a  body,  no  better  friends  to 
their  country  were  to  be  found  in  it,  none  felt  a  holier 
interest  in  her  prosperity  and  happiness,  but  they 
likewise  felt  an  interest  no  less  lively  in  the  success 


/■■       ft  I  ffV     .'■■ 


i ,.  -i'    r. 


;;;'i  ■!' 


28 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAjrES'S   PAEtSII. 


■»■'«.:■ 


m 


of  religion,  tlie  licst  and  onlj-  foundation  of  public 
prosperitj-.  In  tlicir  minds  this  was  naturally  asso- 
ciated with  the  progress  of  the  distinctive  principles 
of  then-  Church,  am]  they  were  bounil,  moreover,  by 
solemn  obligations  of  obedience  to  the  regular  au- 
thorities in  Clinreh  and  State.  But  tliese  considera- 
tions, however  weighty  with  the  clergy,  had  but  little 
force  when  weighed  in  the  scales  of  popular  ]H-ejudice. 
The  prevalent  idea  was  that  all  obligations,  moral  and 
Tehgiou.s,  and  all  the  ties  of  con.science,  are  at  once 
•dLs.solved  by  the  exigence  of  political  affairs,  and  the 
consequence  was  that  mere  neutrality  in  an  Episcopal . 
clergyman  was  in  many  cases  regarded  as  sufficient 
evidence  of  hostility  to  the  cause  of  his  country." 

It  is  not  intended  by  diese  remarks  to  justifv  such  ' 
of  the  clergy  as  still  adhered  to  the  cause  of  EiJgland, 
for  the  contest  on  the  side  of  the  colonies  wa°s  one 
into  which  they  were  forced  by  the  despotic  measui'es 
of  the  Home  Government,  and,  therefore,  their  re- 
sistance was  right  in  the  judgment  of  the  writer  of 
this.  But  it  seems  due  at  least  to  say  this  much  in 
vmdication  of  the  motives  of  a  much  misunderstood 
and  calumniated  class  of  men  who,  whatever  may 
have  been  their  errors  of  judgrment,  have  conferred 
upon  our  country  a  debt  of  oljligation  which  eternity 
alone  can  fully  reveal. 

In  conserpiencc  of  the  state  of  things  to  which  we 
allude,  many  of  the  clergy  were  compelled  to  abandon 
their  cures,  the  doors  of  most  of  our  sanctuaries  be- 
came  closed,  and  the  result  upon  the  general  welfare 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  JAMES's  PARISH. 


2!) 


of  the  Church  was  deplorable  in  the  extreme.  It  is 
believed  that  few  of  our  paiishes  suffered  longer  or 
more  severely  than  the  one  whose  history  we  are 
endeavoring  to  trace. 

The  Rev.  Mr.  "Wills,  the  last  of  its  rectors  under 
the  Colonial  Government,  resigned  his  charge  in 
1775-6,  and  there  is  no  evidence  that  his  place  was 
sni)2ilied  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  During  all 
this  time  the  voice  of  the  Liturgy  was  silent  in  the 
sanctuary;  no  servant  of  the  altar  was  here  to  ex- 
pound to  the  people  the  word  of  life,  or  to  celebrate 
for  them  the  sacraments  of  gTaee. 

In  1780,  five  years  alter  the  resigaiation  of  Mr. 
Wills,  the  town  pf  Wilmington  became  one  of  the 
military  posts  of  the  Briti.sh  ai-my ,  in  America.* 
.  During  their  stay  here  the  property  of  the  Church 
suffered  every  hind  of  violation.  The  enclosure' of 
the  graveyard  was  removed  ami  burnt,  while  the 
church  itself  was  stripped  of  its. pews  and  other.fur- 
niturc,  and  converted  first  into  a  hos])ltal  for  the  sick, 
then  into  a  blockli'ouse  for  defence  against  tlie  Ameri- 
cans, and  finally  into  a  riding  school  for  the  dragoons 
of  Tarleton. 

How  long  it  remained  in  this  condition  after  the- 
evacuation  of  the  enemy  we  are  unable  to  ascertain. 
There  is  little  reason  to  sujipose.  situated  as  the  eon- 

*  The  dwelling  house  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Third  and 
Market  streets,  now  the  property  of  W.  H.  McRary,  Esq.,  was  used 
as  Iho  headquarters  of  Lord  Cornwallia,  during  the  occupancy  of 
the  town  by  the  British  troops. 


k,))ijK 


mil 


"^;?: 


:,V,  tv. 


■  ■  '  ,i  ., 


■lil; 


I  IK: 


30 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PAEISH. 


gTCgation  then  was,  tliat  tlic,)-  could  be  very  forward 
in  repairing  the  injui-ics  of  tlieir  cluu-cli.  To  say 
nothing  of  tlieir  diminished  resources  in  consequence 
of  the  war,  they  had  no  clergyman  to  lead  them  in 
such  an  undei-taking,  and,  what  was  worse,  tliey  had 
no  prospect  of  ol.taining  one.  Everything  wore  the 
aspect  of  desolation  and  discouragement. 

The  jiarish,  indeed,  continued  to  exist,  but  more 
than  this  could  hardly  be  said,  ilany  became  dis- 
couraged, and  abandone.1  the  church  ;  others,  however, 
and  a  respectal.ile  number,  were  wise  enough  to  wait 
for  the  ordinances  of  Christ  in  the  Church °of  Christ. 
They  had  still  the  Bibles,  Prayer  Books,  and  other 
religious  works,  which  had  been  placed  in  their  hands 
by  the  missionaries  of  the  Venerable  Society,  and 
with  these  a  feeling  of  attachment  to  the  church  of 
their  fathers  was  kejit  ali^'e,  which  on  the  return  of 
better  days  proved  of  no  small  service  in  the  resusci- 
tation of  the  j-iarish. 

In  1795,  twenty  years  from  the  time  when  the  last 
clergyman  undei'  the  Colonial  Government  left,  the 
A^estry  having  reorganized  and  repaired  the  church  so 
far  as  to  render  it  fit  for  public  wor.ship,  called  to  the 
rectorship  the  licv.  ])i'.  Hailing,  who,  for  some  time 
previou.s,  had  ofhciated  in  the  church  at  New  Berne. 

The  old  eliui-ch  of  St.  James  could  lay  no  claim  to 
architectural  beauty  It  was  built  of  brick,  and  ex- 
tended about  thirty  feet  into  Market  street.  It  was  a 
large  sijuare  building,  with  neither  steeple  nor  belfry, 
with  three  entrances— one  in  front  facing  the  river! 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJVIES'S   PAEISII. 


31 


one  oiiening  on  Jtarkct  street,  and  another  leading 
into  the  gTaveyard.  The  aisles  were, quite  broad,  and 
paved  with  large  sqtiare  bj-ick ;  very  many  of  the 
pews  were  of  the  old  English  style,  being  what  were 
called  double  i)ew,s,  atid  would  seat  quite  a  lar"-e 
family  very  comfortably,  though  eomijclling  a  por- 
tion of  the  occupants  to  sit  with  their  backs  to  the 
chancel.  There  was  a  high  reading  desk,  and  a  pul- 
pit higher  .still,  each  with  red  velvet  cushions,  and  a 
sounding  board  above  the  pulpit.  There  was  a  ]5lain 
communion  table,  made  of  mahogany ;  in  fact,  all  the 
arrangements  were  of  the  simplest  and  most  unpre- 
tending character.  In  its  outward  apjjearance  the  old 
church  bore  no  resemblance  to  the  splendid  edifices 
of  the  present  day,  but  yet  it  possessed  attractions, 
due  not  only  to  its  sacred  character,  but  also  to  its 
connection  with  past  tintcs. 

Dr.  Hailing  accepted  the  appointment  of  rector  of 
the  parish,  and  in  this  relation  he  continued  until 
May,  1809,  when  he  resigned  his  charge  and  removed 
to  Georgetown,  S.  C,  where,  a  few  years  after,  he 
closed  his  eai-thly  ministry  with  his  life,  much  regi-et- 
ted  and  much  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 

Besides  having  charge  of  the  parish,  Dr.  Hailing 
was  the  first  principal  of  the  Wilmington  Academj' — 
an  institution  of  learning  which  owed  its  existence  to 
the  munificence  of  Colonel  James  Innis,  previously 
mentioned — an  enterprize  which  was  carried  to  a  suc- 
cessful completion  by  the  voluntary  subscriptions  of 
the  citizens  of  Wilmington. 


mi 


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u 


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iff 

iiit. 


32 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  JAJIES'S  PAEISII. 


After  tlic  ivliromeiit  of  Dr.  Ilalliiifr,  tlie  parish  re- 
mained   vacant   until   ISll,  Aviicn    the   Bev.    Adam 
Empie,  I).  D.,  was  cnljod,  and  entered  niioii  liis  duties 
in  the  month  of  November  in  tlic  same  vcar.     As  a 
m.atterof  some  interest,  and  as  sllo^vino■ 'the.  vast  in'- 
ereasc  of  laLor  new  ]ierfonned  in  tlio  parisli,  and  in- 
dicating also  tlie  -real  imj.rovement  in  the  health  of 
the  town,  we  eojiy  that  i.ortion  of  tlic  letter  of  t],e 
^  estry  to  Dr.  Empie, invitinn-  him  "to  take  chai'ocof 
the  parish,  at  a  .-alary  of  $1,200  per  annum,  with"  the 
privilege  of  .spending  his  summers  at  the  Sound,  and 
holding  one  sci'viee  only  in   town  during  the  sickly 
season. '     It  is,  perliaps,  ],ro],er  to  state  that  most,  I'f 
not  all,  the  congregation  generally  left  the  town  dur- 
ing the  summer  niontlis  for  the  sea  coa.st  or  tlie  in- 
terior, and,  ].robal.ly,  the  greater  portion  of  tlie  con- 
gregation gathered  at  the  Sound,  and  had  the  benefit 
there  of  Dr.  Emjiie's  mini.strations. 

We  have  now  arrived  at  a  jieriod  in  the  history 
o  tlio  prmsh  to  which  we  may  ju.stly  a],],lv  the  words 
of  the  Eoman  poet,  ^^  major  rervm  na^atur  ordo." 
i  hough  the  d,oce.se  was  not  yet  duly  organized,  and 
tbe  congregation,  eousequently.  w.ante.l  those  incen- 
tiyes  to  action  which  are  now  supplied  by  tlie  annual 
visits  of  flie  Bishop,  and  the  regular  administration  of 
the  Episcopal  system,  yet  tliere  is  evidence  before  us 
o  justify  the  belief  that  piety  and  devout  attention.^ 
to  re  igious  ordinances  were  greatly  on  the  increase, 
and  tliat  among  the  members  of  the  pari.sh  originated 
those  spirited  efl-orts  which,  aided  by  zealous  Church- 


SKETCn  OF  ST.  JAMES's  I'AIUSH.  3,3 

inen  in  other  places,  and  crowned  with  the  ble.ssincr 
«f  God,  have  raised  the  Churcli  in  this  diocese  to  its 
present  highly  prosperous  condition. 

The  congregation  continued  to  enjoy  the  valuable 
services  of  Dr.  Empie  until  the  sjiringof  1814,  when 
he  resigned  the  rectorship  for  the  chaplaincy  of  the 
United  States  Military  Academy,  at  West  Point,  New 
York.  Dunng  those  three  years  of  his  residence  hero 
tlie  parish  improved  rapidly,  both  in  meniliei^  and 
piety.  In  1811,  when  Dr.  Empie  th-.st  came  to  iUs 
f.harge,  the  number  of  communicants  was  only 
i^^enty-one.  When  lie  left,  in  April,  1814,  the  num- 
ber was  increased  to  o,ie  hundred  and  two  Thi.s 
simjile  statement  is  the  best  commentary  ui.on  the 
suece.ss  of  his  labors. 

In  the  autumn  of  this  year,  1814,  tlie  Vestry 
.secured  the  sei-vices  of  the  Eev.  Bethel  Judd,  D.  D. 
As  Dr.  Judd  was  induced  to  visit  the  South  I'nainly 
or  the  benefit  of  his  health,  the  parish  enjoyed  the 
benefit  of  his  ministrations  only  about  eight  months 
of  the  year.  There  is  evidonee,  however,  that  his 
residenee  here  was  attended  with  g,-eat  benefit  to  the 
vhurcli. 

It  will  not  be  amiss,  iiei-hajis,  at  this  stage  of  our 
narrative,  to  take  a  retrospective  glance,  and  recall  a 
few  incidents  illustrating  the  character  of  the  times  in 
those  early  days  of  the  hi.story  of  the  Churcli,  not 
characteristic  of  the  Ejiiseopal  Church  alone,  but  of 
other  religious  bodies.  Church  discipline  was  not  a.s 
I'lgidly  enforced  then  as  at  the  present  d.ay.     Mar- 

3 


km 


34 


SKETC}!  OF   ST.   JAMES's  PAniSH. 


nngcs  were  always  celel.i-atcl  at  the  house  of  the 
parties  aiul  never  in  tlie  ehnrcli,  ami  at  all  fnnerals 
the  mnnster  atten.le,!  at  tlie  .hvcllin-  of  the  deoeascl 
^>ml  headed  the  funeral  eortege  to  tlie  graveyard.  No 
chureh  HI  the  plaee  could  hoa..t  of  a  bell  of  its  own 
and  the  diflerent  den.,minations  assembled  in  their 
r«peet,ve  places  of  worship  at  the  same  hour,  which 
was  mdicated  by  the  tolling  of  the  town  bell. 

The  ottstom  of  decorating  the  church  at  Christma.s 
was  so  irregularly-  observed,  that  on  one  occasion  the 
colore.l  sexton  of  St.  James's,  linding  that  no  one 
U)ok  any  interest  in  the  matter,  deternn-ned  to  do  it 
himself.,  With  a  small  gimlet  he  bored  a  hole  in  the 
top  raihng  of  c^■ery  pew,  and  inserted  therein  a  piece 
of  holly  about  tM-o  or  three  inches  in  length— "only 
that  a„,l  nothing  more."  It  was  an  Innnble  tribute 
of  devotion  of  his  untutored  inin.l  to  the  advent  of 
ti.e  Savwur,  and  was,  doubtless,  as  acceptable  on  ac- 
count ot  the  motive  as  the  more  gorgeous  displays  of 
the  i.rescnt  da.-.  It  had  its  ..ffect,  also,  upon  the 
congi-egatioii,  for  at  every  recurrence  of  that  holy 
season  there  were  willing  hands  enough  to  decorate 
the  clnirch  for  the  coming  of  its  Lord.  ' 

Among  some  denonn-nations  at  tin's  time  an  easy 
fam.hanty  betu-een  the  minister  and  his  congregation  ' 
was  frequently  exhibited  during  service,  .and  was  not 
regarded  as  mdecorous  or  out  of  place.  As  illustra- 
tive .,1  this  ,t  ,s  «-el]  remembered  that  on  one  occasion, 
■'"  ■■'  puMi..  gathering,  at  the  eonclu.sion  of  the  ser- 
Vic<-s,  the  nmnsier  .announced  that  a  collection  would 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   .JAlIE.s's   I'AKIStl.  ,'3,5 

then  be  talicnui.,  and  called  upon  two  of  tiie  brethren 
to  pass  round  the  hat,  whereupon  a  gentleman  of 
much  promineuce  in  the  community  imine<liately 
aro,se  in  the  congregation,  and  remarked,  "These 
jieople,  sir,  came  to  hear  ])reaehing;  they  did  not 
expect  to  be  called  upon  to  oontrilnite,  and  are  n<3t 
prepared  to  do  so ;  I  therefore  suggest  that  the  col- 
lection be  dispensed  with,"  which  suggestion  was 
promptly  acquiesced  in  by  the  minister. 

Among  these  incidents,  the  writer  -well  remembers 
the  following,  which  came  under  his  own  obseiTation, 
and  wliich,  though  oecumng  many  years  ago,  is  still 
vividly  imi)ressed  upon  liis  mind.  The  minister  had 
finished  his  discourse,  and  had  given  out  a  hynm, 
l>re]iaratory  to  closing  the  services.  The  individual 
who  led  the  choir,  and  whose  duty  it  was  to  raise  the 
tunes,  struck  the  key  note  so  high  that  he  was  .soon 
com]ielled  to  come  to  a  sudden  stop.  Nothing  daunted 
by  his  failure,  in  a  few  moments  he  made  another 
effort,  and,  as  is  frequently  the  ease  at  such  time.s, 
went  to  the  other  extreme,  and  got  the  tune  so  low 
that,  after  floundering  through  a  few  bar.-,  his  voice 
sinking  lower  and  lower  at  every  tone,  it  tinally 
ceased  altogether.  A  dead  silence  reigned  for  a  time, 
broken  only  by  the  half-suj)]jre.ssed  titterings  of  the 
more  thoughtless  portion  of  the  congregation,  when 
tlie  minister,  with  a  peculiarly  bland  expression  of 
countenance,  gently  remarked,  "I  think— brethren— 
we  liad  better— pray."  Not  so  thought  the  leader  of 
the  choir,  for  he   immediately  exclaimed  from  his 


■■■■'.':t-'ri  ■ 
'Hiii-rr'^' 


f-'i 


f^^ 


mm 

BMP'- 
S'=-n;f;f  Hi.-  ■ 

lii:  ilai-i  r' 


.'ii; 


sKjyrcii  OK  ST.  .tamks's  rAiiisii. 


IKisitioii  ill  tlic  gallery  directly  opiuisito  the  jtiilpii,, 
"hold  cm,  In-othei'  ]5.,  we'll  have  licr  uji  directly,"  and, 
making  a  final  ciTovt,  happily  struck  the  right  pitch, 
and  carried  the  tunc  to  a  triunijihant  termination. 

In  recalling  these  incidents  of  other  days,  we  liojio 
we  will  not  lie  accused  of  any  intention  to  make  light 
of  sacred  things,  or  to  reflect  upon  the  [licty  of  the 
'•old  time"  Christians.  ]''ar  from  it,  for  we  are  of 
tliose  who  dt'light  in  recalling  the  simj)lieity  of  those 
veal's  gone  by,  licfore  the  era  of  (juiet  had  gi\cn  place 
to  that  of  jirogress. 

It  is  in  our  natui'c  to  recur  with  jileasure  to  the 
a.'^.^oeiations  of  our  childhood,  and  we  mav  be  par- 
iloned  if  those  associations  .i.ssume  in  our  memoi-ies  a 
beauty  and  a  cliann  wdiieli  the  changes  brought  by 
maturer  years  fail  to  i>rescnt,  "We  love  those  good 
old  times,  as  we  arc  wont  to  call  them,  and  however 
the  jiresent  may  or  may  not  have  improved  upon 
them,  however  the  intellect  may  judge  between  them 
and  the  ]n-esent,  our  affections  stUl  cling  to  them. 
Therefore,  we  say  again,  let  no  one  suppose  that  wc 
I'eflcct  for  a  moment  ujion  the  jiiety  or  reverence  of 
tho.'^e  Christians  of  old  times. 

To  return  from  this  digression. 

The  arrangement  with  Dr.  Judd  continued  until 
Jfay,  181G,  when  he  I'csigned,  and  was  succeeded  by 
Br.  Em])ie,  who  i-etnrnod  to  the  charge  of  the  parish 
shortly  after  its  relinquishment  by  Lis  iircdecessor. 
At  this  time  the  congregation  liad  so  much  increased 
that  it  was  found  necessary  to  add  to  the  number  of 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  .lAMEb's  PAIUSII. 


37 


pews,   which   was  d(jne   by  the  erection  of  side  L'al 
leries. 

From  this  period  onward  to  the  3car  1827,  when 
the  next  vacancy  occurred,  the  affairs  of  the  parish 
were  highly  pro.sjjerou.s.  ]5csides  the  Sunday  schools 
and  Bible  classes  which  were  instituted  and  kept  in 
successful  operation  by  the  rector,  an  association  for 
the  education  of  poor  eliildren,  another  for  the  pur- 
cliixse  and  grattdtous  distribution  of  Bibles  and  Prayer 
Books,  and  a  third  for  the  formation  of  a  parochial 
hbrar}',  all  (;ame  into  being,  and  were  sustained  with 
a  highly  cro(htablc  liberality. 

In  May,  1827,  Dr.  Empie  again  resigncrl  the  rector- 
ship, and  removed  to  Williamsburg,  Va.,  to  a.ssume 
the  Presidency  of  William  and  Mary  College,  to 
which  he  h.ad  been  elected.  With  feelings  of  the 
deepest  regret  the  congregation  of  St.  .James  parted 
with  their  beloveil  rector.  The  tic  that  bound  them 
together  w;is  of  a  peculiarly  tender  nature.  He  had 
come  among  them  when  the  church  numbered  but  a 
mere  handful,  and  had  been  active  and  untiring  in 
the  discharge  of  the  duties  of  his  sacred  ollicc,  °  nd 
(xod  ha<l  so  blessed  his  cfTorts  that  the  parish  when 
he  left  it  ranked  lirst  in  numbers  in  the  diocese.  Ik- 
was  endeared  to  our  people  also  by  tiie  ties  of  con- 
sanguinity, for  he  h.ad  married  into  u  family  distin- 
guished in  our  annals  for  wealtli,  intelligence  and 
vntue,  and  children  were  growing  up  around  him. 
For  fourteen  years  he  had  been  theii'  counsellor  and 
guide,  and  we  cannot  be  surpriseil,  therefore,  that  hi.s 


■Mil 
lip  . 

Ii()f5.n  ■■ 


.•iS 


SKHTCH   OF   ST.  JA^MHS's   PAKISU. 


<lc]iarturi'  IV' mi  tlio  inn'isli  slioiild  li;ive  been  soilee|ily 
(leploivil  lis  it  wiis  liy  ;ill  classes  <i[  .societv.* 

He  was  n  leiirneil  llienlnnian — an  earnest.  ])r(\ielier 
of  divine  tnitli — an  aeemiiplislieil  scholar — a  truly 
goiUy  man.  lie  eiijoveil  the  eonlKlencc  of  ]'>isho|) 
H;ivensciMll  in  an  eminent  degree,  who  invariably 
.spoke  of  liim  as  ■'thai  eniphiitie  preacher."  ami  who 
decjily  ii'uretled  his  removal  from  the  dioee.se.f 
After  ser\-iii;i-  f"r  some  years  as  President  of  William 
an]  Mary  Colle,L;e,  Dr.  jimpie  rcsig-ned  the  position 
to  accept  the  reetorshiii  of  a  new  church,  wliieh  had 
been  buili  in  Hiehmond  for  him.  and  named  St» 
James,  in  compliment  to  hi.s  old  parish  of  St,  Jamcti, 
in  Wilmington.  There  he  continued  to  serve  most 
aeccpt.ibly  until  the  intirmitias  of  age  compelled  him 
to  retire  from  the  active  duties  of  life. 

iMifeebled  by  ili.sease.  and   having  passed  the  atjc 

*  At  the  Diocos.in  Convention  al  New  Benio,  in  1S27,  Bishop 
Eavensoroft,  in  his  .iddrcss,  lluis  refers  to  this  parisli:  "Much  satis- 
faction had  been  e.xpcrieiiced  in  liis  visit  to  tlic  large  and  increasing 
coi.frre;calion  (at  Wilmington).  The  person  il  atUchraenl  of  tho 
members  to  tlieir  pa.'^tor,  tlieir  attainments  in  Cliristiau  l<nowIedge 
and  experience,  tlieir  active  e.TCrlions  to  eoinmimieate  religions  in- 
struction by  means  of  tlieir  Sunday  Scliool  and  catechetical  classes, 
with  the  number  of  orderly  and  respectable  colored  eommniiioanta, 
denote  such  an  earnest  and  zealous  engaKcmeiit  for  the  promotion  of 
tho  Redeemer's  Kinfdoin  as  was  highly  gratifying  and  rcfro,shiug 
lo  my  spirit,  and  speaks  a  language  not  to  be  mistakon  as  to  tho 
ddigonce  and  faitlifiiluess  of  him  who  is  entrusted  with  their  spirit- 
ual interests." 

t  At  the  Convention  of  the  Diocese  of  North  Carolina,  hold  at 
Sahsbury  in  tho  yoar  1823,  to  elect  a  bishop,  Dr.  Empio  wo.i  llio 
favorite  of  the  clergy  for  that  high  position. 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES's  PARIsn.       ,39 

assigned  by  the  P.sahnist  as  the  limit  of  hu.nan  life 
he  returned  to  Wilmington  to  die  among  the  people 
to  whom  he  liad  formerly  ministeretl,  tmd  amid.st  the 
scenes  endeared  to  him  by  mt.ny  of  the  tcnderest  asso- 
ciatioths,  and  when  the  summons  came  which  come.s 
to  all,  the  young,  as  well  a.s  old,  it  found  him  ready 
and  prepared.  Surrounded  b^-  his  relatives  and 
friends,  in  the  full  po.sse,ssion  of  his  faculties,  his  last 
words  on  earth  were  an  exultant  e.Kprcssion  of  an 
assured  immortality— and  so  he  fell  asleep. 

"  Mark  the  perfect  man,  and  behold  the  uprh^ht 
for  the  end  of  that  man  is  ])eace,"  °    ' 

It  is  a  matter  of  very  great  regret  that  the  pari.sh 
records  containing  the  jiroceodings  of  the  Vcstrv  with 
the  names  of  the  different  members,  have  all  been 
lost  or  destroyed.  In  examining  a  few  old  letters  to 
which  we  have  had  access,  we  find  one  signed  Thomas 
Oallcnder,  and  addressed  to  a  gentleman  in  New 
York,  on  matters  connected  with  the  Church  in  this 
place,  and  we  have  thought  that  a  .slight  notice  of 
Mr.  Oalleiider,  one  of  the  old  vestrymen  of  St,  James, 
would  not  be  considered  inappropriate. 

Captain  Thomas  Callender  was  an  old  resident  of 
the  town,  a  prominent  man  in  the  community,  an 
active  member  of  the  Vestry,  and  devoted  to  the 
worship  of  the  Church.  He  was  the  leader  of  the 
€hoir,  and,  though  his  voice  was  not  sufficiently  cul- 
tivated to  have  pleased  the  fastidious  taste  of  the  pres- 
ent day,  n  was  yet  flexible,  full,  and,  like  liimself,  free 
from  afifeetation.    He  never  attempted  ef!eet  or  display 


I 


m 

il  h  if,'  S.  • 

ukhy 

E'l  r.'i'-!  "■'■ 

mm 

■^;-&('  'r 


m 


'  SW»  IT-.'  ■ 


40 


SKETCH   OF   ST.   JAMESVS   PARISH. 


Ill  t}ic  service  o{  the  sanctuary,  l,„t  it  was  liis  delight, 
to  give  full  vent  to  his  powers  in  those  simple  but 
beautiful  melodies  which  h.we  now,  alas'  become 
nearly  obsolete.  Unless  eoiif.ne.l  at  home  by  sick - 
ne.ss,  he  was  always  at  his  post  in  church,  and  his 
<ippcaranee  wouhl  arrest  the  attention  even  of  the- 
most  thoughtless. 

As  he  st<iod  in  the  fnint  row  of  .seats  in  the  gallery 
his  venerable  form  bowed  with  age,  and  his  thin  locks 
whitened  by  the  frost.s  of  many  winters,  he  remin.led 
us  of  one  of  the  patriarchs  of  old,  and,  catehinn-  i„. 
spiration,  as  ,t  were,  from  the  divine  service  in  wliich 
he  wns  engaged,  his  voice  would  .piiver  with  emotion 
or  swell  with  triumph,  his  right  arm  rising  and  falling 
with  the  regularity  of  a  i.en.Iulum  in  time  with  the 
notes  of  the  music. 

lie  held  the  odice  of  town  clerk  for  many  veai^ 
and  died  at  an  advanced  age.  carrying  with  "him  to 
the  grave  the  respect  of  the  entire  communit\- 

■  Ihe  Rev.  Augustus  Foster  Lyde,  well  reniembered 
by  many  ot  onr  readers  as  a  young  man  of  great 
promise  was  a  grandson  of  Ca,,t.iin  Callcnder  and  a 
native  of  Wihumgton.  He  .lied  at  a  very  early  age, 
I'aving  barely  reached  his  majority,  and  while  busd; 
engage.1  preparmg  for  his  mis.sion  to  China.  He  wl 
the  firs,  cergyman  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
Chud,,t,,i,  country  to  o/Ter  himself  as  a  mission- 
ary to  that  unknown  and  distant  field  of  labor.  He 
published  a  book  of  poems  shortly  after  leaving  Wil- 
ni.ngton,   which   were  highly  commended,  several  of 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  .JAJIES's  TAUISH. 


41 


republished  within    a    few   yean; 


■  which    have   been 
past. 

Upon  the  retirenien,t  of  Dr.  Kmpio  from  tlie  rector- 
ship of  the  iiari.sh,  in  1827,  the  position  was  offered 
to  the  Right  Rev.  John  Stai-k  Ravenseroft,  bishop 
of  the  diocese— he  to  select  an  assistant.  The  bi.shop 
accepted,  but  for  some  reason  whi(;h  we  cannot  now 
explain— owing  to  the  lo.ss  of  records— the  arranr^e- 
mcnt  was  never  carried  into  efl'ect.  "^ 

Wc  may  xvell  imagine  the  beneficial  results  that 
would  have  accrued  to  the  parish  under  the  ministra- 
tions of  such  a  man  as  Bishop  R.avenscroft.  A  man 
of  great  intellectual  strength,  force  of  character  and 
n-on  will,  possessing  few  of  the  graces  of  oi'at(jiy,  but 
confining  himself  entirely  to  rigid  argument  and 
sound  logic.  A  stalwart  warrior  of  the  cross,  fear- 
loss  of  consequences  while  in  the  discharge  of  duty 
striking  heavy  blows  against,  the  sinful  practices  of 
tbe  age,  a.sking  no  quarter  and  giving  none :  sadly 
deficient  in  the  "  smvila-  in  modo,''  but  possessing  a 
superabundance  of  the  "/wft-fer  m  re,"  perfectly  litn- 
.  est  m  his  belief,  and  detesting  the  appearance  even  of 
equivocation  or  deceit,  with  a  bluntness  of  manner 
that  bordered  closely  at  times  ui^on  rudeness,  he  was 
yet  keenly  alive  to  the  more  gentle  impulses  of  our 
nature,  and  was  the  right  man  in  the  right  place  for 
the  times  m  which  he  lived  and  for  the  re.sponsible 
duties  he  was  called  upon  to  perform. 

He  would  attract  notice  in  any  crowd  or  any  a,ssem- 
My  from  liia  commanding  appearance  and  the  dignity 


fii  >'•'<  ■  ■■;■  i 


0i 


v.,- 


K;!  ',"t 


mm;: 


F!t3-1 


M\^ 


4-i  SKETCH   OF  ST.   JAMES's   PARISH. 

of  his  inauncr— a  digaitv  that  repelled  all  attouipt.-i 
at  familiarity,  but  at  fhc  same  time  was  natural  and 
unafloctod.  Over  .si.v  feet  in  height,  with  a  frame  of 
hei-culeau  proportions,  indicating  great  powers  of  on- 
■durance,  he  towered  among  men  like  Saul  among  his 
brethren,  and.  as  he  walked  the  .streets,  the  groups 
tliat  gatheretl  on  the  sidewalks  would  turn  .again  to 
gaze  upon  that  noble  specimen  of  vigorous  ma°ihood. 
His  voice  was  of  wonderful  i)owcr,  deep  toned  and 
sonorous,  and  when  under  the  inOuenee  of  strong 
amotion  or  excited  by  his  subject,  it  rolled  forth  like 
peals  of  thunder,  lie  was  a  strong  wan  every  way, 
■self-reliant  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  and  would 
have  gone  to  the  stake  without  the  tremor  of  a  muscle 
in  defence  of  a  principle. 

He  had  peculiarities— or,  rather,  idiosvncra.sies— 
which  displayed  themselves  frequently,  even  in  .the 
pulpit  In  giving  out  a  hymn  he  would  inform  the 
choir  that  he  wished  a  certain  tune  to  bo  suiur  to  the 
word.s.  The  tune  "  China,"  for  instance,  wh'ieh  wa^ 
a  great  favorite  with  him,  he  would  announce  thus: 

bing  the  75th  hymn,  to  the  tune  of  '  Chany '  "  as 
he  invariably  pronounced  it,  and  no  other  tunc  but 

Ohany  was  sung— it  mattered  not  whether  the  tune 
was  appropriate  to  the  words  or  the  rcvei-sc,  for  when 
a  command  issued  f,-om  those  lips  it  was  promptly 
and  nnphcitly  obeyed.  He  would  not  tolc-atc  the 
taist  irreverence  in  church,  it  made  no  diilerence  who 
the  oflendmg  parties  might  be;  whether  hi-h  or  low 
male  or  female,  the  reproof  was  direct,  and  in  laa- 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  ,7A.MES's  PARISH. 


§W^ 


4.3 


guagc  too  plain  to  be  misunderstood;  and  yet,  under 
all  this  rough  cx'tcrior,  he  had  a  loving  heart  and 
tender  sym])athics. 

"Wc  remember,  during  one  of  his  visitations  to  the 
pari.sh,  the  Sunday  school  ola.sscs  were  ranged  around 
the  chancel  to  lie  catechi.sed  by  him.  °aud  stood 
trembling  and  abashed  before  his  august  presence, 
lie  noticed  their  trepidation,  and  .spoke  to  them  in  .so 
kind  and  gentle  a  manner  as  not  only  to  reassure 
them  but  comjiletely  to  win  their  confidence.  The 
writer  well  I'ecolleets  a  question  iiropoundcd  to  him 

by  the  bishoj),  and  the  answer— quite  a   long  one 

which  was  fluently  given.  The  stern  old  bishop  arose 
from  his  chair,  and,  approaching  the  youth,  patted 
him  gently  on  the  head,  remarking,  at  the  .same 
time.  "  Well  done,  iny  lad;  if  you  live  to  be  a  man,  I 
expect  you  will  become  a  bisliop."  Candor  compels 
us  to  sa^-  that  there  is  not  the  remotest  jirobability  of 
the  fulfilment  of  the  good  bishop '.s  prognostication. 

The  Church  in  tlii.s  diocese  owes  a  heavy  debt  of 
gratitude  to  John  Stark  Ravenseroft,  its  fir.st  bishoj), 
for  he  laid  its  foundations  deep  and  strong,  and  the 
result  of  his  labors  is  seen  in  that  rigid  adherence, 
which  is  so  consjiicuous  on  the  part  of  its  members, 
to  that  faith  "  which  was  once  delivered  to  the 
saiuts." 

In  the  month  of  December,  1827,  the  Rev.  T.  S.  W. 
ilott  was  called  to  the  rectoi-ship  of  the  pari.sh,  and 
became  its  minister,  but,  in  consequence  of  feeble 
health,  was  comjielled    to    leave  after  serving   only 


■mm 

iilfif' 

tllii   !s 

illf^vr,. 


.''■f,i. 


44 


!<KE'J<.'II    (IF    SJT.    JAMES'h    PAUISH. 


iiliout  six  mnntlis.  lie  rctiml  from  tho  m-torslii])  in 
June,  J828,  ami  was  succoeilcd  in  January  of  tho  fol- 
lowing year,  1S29.  hy  the  Mrv.  William  D.  Cairns. 

Tho  various  interests  of  the  Ciiureli  ajijicar  to  have 
been  well  snstaineil  liuring  the  ineiunbcuoy  of  Mr. 
Cairns.  In  achlilion  to  tiio.so  in.lieations  of  growiufr 
strength  and  iiu|iroveinent  nientione<l  above,  it  dc- 
serves  to  he  noted  that  in  tho  year  1882  an  eligible 
lot  was  i>ureliased.  and  a  eouiforfable  reetoi-v  "pro- 
vided for  the  minister.  For  this  very  important 
measure  the  parish  is  indebted  almost  entirely  to  n, 
sewing  .society  anuHio;  the  ladies  of  th(>  congregation 
—an  a.ssociation  which  through  a  .series  of  yeai^  has 
scattered  its  benefactions  with  a  lilieral  hand  over 
every  |iart  of  the  dioeese.* 

This  so<'iety  was  ineorp(irated  in  1833-4  by  the 
Legislature  of  North  Carolina,  ami  authorized  to  hold 
property.  L'pon  the  lot  which  they  purcha,sed  near 
the  elnireh.  a  (•ommodious  hall,  for  the  jjurpose  of  a 
free  school,  was  subseipiently  erected  bv  the  munill- 
cenco  of  Governor  p:dward  15.  Dudle.y  and  P.  K. 
Dickinson,  Ks(|.,  an<l  presented  to  the  society.  It  still 
remains,  and  is  used  for  educali.mal  and  Sunday 
school  pui-poses. 

Mr.  Cairns  resi-ned   his  char-e  In  June,  1833,  ami 

*  Aa  an  evi.len.-e  of  wliat  iv.is  ncconiplishcd  by  this  assoc-lation 
•.v€.  w.ll  stale  tlKU  the  proceeds  of  their  labor  (working  one  afternoon 
in  eaeh  week)  Iron,  1,122,  when  tho  society  was  founded,  np  to  1st 
M.iy,  1.S43,  amounted  to  nearly  $4,500.  We  have  not  been  able  to 
ascertain  the  araount  realized  since  tlicn. 


SKETCH  01'  ST.   .lAMK.S's   PARISH.  4,5 

was  succeeded  by  the  Kev.  Thomas  K.  Davis,  lato 
Bishop  of  the  Dioeese  of  South  Carolina.  Mr.  Davis 
entered  upon  his  duties  as  rector  in  the  month  of 
November  in  the  .same  year,  and  continued  in  the 
service  of  the  parish  until  tho  Spring  of  1886,  when 
he  was  compelled,  by  the  impaired  .state  of  his  health, 
to  the  great  regr'et  of  his  congregation,  to  resign  hi.s 
charge.  It  is  worthy  of  notice  that,  fluving  the  rector- 
ship  of  Mr.  Davis,  a  portion  of  the  congregation  who 
iisually  .spent  their  summers  at  WrightsviHe,  on  tho 
Sound,  succeeded  in  erecting  a  very  neat  and  com- 
modious chapel,  in  which  public  worship  has  been  for 
years  regulai-ly  maintained  by  lay  readei-s,  and  occa- 
sional visiti!  of  the  rector  during  four  months  of  the 
year. 

Of  this  gentleman,  who  served  the  jiarish  so  aceept- 
iibly,  and  who  afterwards  held  such  an  exalted  j)osi- 
tion  in  the  Church,  being  one  of  its  honored  rulers, 
we  feel  that  a  notice,  however  slight  or  imperfect  it 
may  be,  is  eminently  duo. 

The  Kev.  Thomas  Frederick  Davis  was  a  native  of 
Wilmington,  and  was  the  oldest  son  of  Mr.  Thomas 
1''.  Davis,  a  prominent  citizen  of  the  town,  \vho  was 
for  many  yearn  the  efficient  Clerk  of  the  Court  of 
I'letis  and  Quarter  Sessions  for  the  County  of 
New  Hanover.  Mi-.  Davis  graduated  with  distinc- 
tion at  Chapel  IliU,  and  shortly  afterwards  em-, 
braced  the  profession  of  the  law.  lie  came  to  the 
bar  at  a  time  when  such  men  as  Hon.  John  D. 
Toomer,   William   B.  Mearcs,  Joseph  A.  Hill,   and 


'^ 


JEMrl.T. 

;0,;   ,'  .IT  .'  ;' 

'i    -'If 


■ii 


46 


t-KV.'lCIl   OF   ST.   JAMEHS'I'AJilSIl. 


\<^.: 


otiicrs  shell  n  lustre  iiiKm  tlic  |iiMffssii)ii.'  lie  at  once 
nssiinied  a  position  amnii<r  the  foremost,  and  com- 
miiniled  .1  large  and  lucrative  jiractice,  wliieli  rapidly 
inorejised  as  liis  abilities  became  recojjnizeil,  and  liis 
powers  move  matured. 

While  engaf,'cd  in  the  active  duties  of  his  ])rofes- 
sion,  and.  with  the  ]irosjiect  of  a  brilliant  future,  ,'-o 
far  at  least  as  success  in  this  life  is  concerned,  open- 
ing up  before  him,  it  jileasedGod,  by  a  visitation  of 
His  Providence,  to  ttirn  his  tho\ights  from  the  plea- 
sures and  enjoyments  of  this  world  to  the  considera- 
tion of  the  next.  A  diligent  .search  of  the  Holy 
iScripturcs  could  lead  to  but  one  result  in  a  mind  and 
temperament  .such  as  hi.«.  Convinced  of  the  vanity 
and  sinfulness  of  this  world,  its  hollow  mockeries,  its 
inability  to  give  peace  or  consolation  to  the  troubled 
soul,  he  turned  to  that  source  front  which  all  bless- 
ings flow,  and  recognizing  the  hand  of  his  heavenly 
Father  iu  liis  afllictive  dispetisation,  determined  to 
devote  the  future  of  liis  life  to  His  holy  service. 

He  immediately  gave  up  his  jiractice,  and  ajiplicd 
himself  to  the  pi-cjiarations  necessary  to  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  <_>!  his  sacred  calling,  and  was 
ordained  to  the  mini.stiy,  in  the  old  church  of  St. 
James,  by  tlie  Right  Eev.  L.  Silliman  Ives,*   who 

♦  Bishop  Ives  was  elected,  upon  the  21st  of  Mny,  at  the  Diocesan 
CoDvention  of  lS:tl,  holii  in  the  City  of  Rpleigli,  and  was  conse- 
crated in  Trinity  Church,  Soiilhwark,  Philadelpliin,  upon  tlie  22d 
of  Septerjiher,  in  tlic  same  year,  by  Bishop  White,  of  PennsylvoLi.i 
(presidinj.'),  Bishops  H.  U.  Onderdonk  (assisting),  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  B.  T.  Onderdonk,  of  New  York  (assisting). 


i? 


SKETCH  OF  ST.   JAMES's  PAIUSH.  47 

was  at  that  time  Bishop  of  the  Diocese.  Upon  the 
resignation  ot  Mr.  Cairns,  as  already  stated,  he  be- 
came the  rector  of  this  pari.sh,  and,  until  his  health 
gave  way,  was  its  faithful  and  eiKcient  jjastoi'. 

Accepting  a  call  to  St.  Luke's  Church,  Salisbury 
he  continued  to  officiate  there  until  his  removal  to. 
South  Carolina.  At  the  Convention  of  the  Churcli  in 
that  diocese,  in  the  year  1853,  although  he  had  been 
a  resident  of  the  State  not  more  than  six  years,  he 
was  elected  Bishop  of  the  Diocese,  and  up  to'the^ 
time  of  his  lamented  death,  in  December,  1871,  wore 
the  priestly  robes  of  his  liigh  office  free  from  spot  01- 
blemish. 

He  was  a  faithful  minister  of  God  in  reprovincr 
m  exhortation  and  instruction,  bold  in  the  perform-' 
imce  of  duty,  yet  most  gentle  in  his  daily  intercourse 
with  the  world.  As  a  pulpit  orator  he  was  remark- 
able  for  the  clear  elucidation  of  his  subjects,  his 
powers  of  analysis  and  argument,  and  for  the  fervent 
piety  that  breathed  in  every  word.  Those  who  lis- 
tened could  not  fail  to  be  imi)resscd  by  the  deep  sin- 
cerity of  his  convictions.  By  precept"  and  e.xtnnplc, 
liy  the  elevated  tone  of  his  morality,  and  the  saintly 
purity  of  his  life,  he  advanced  the  cause  of  his 
Master's  kingdom  on  earth,  while  by  liis  gentle  sub- 
mission to  the  will  of  God,  under  his  .severe  affiic 
tions  during  the  latter  years  of  his  life,  he  was  an 
example  to  all  around  him  of  the  Chri.stian  gi'ace 
of  patience. 

We  have  now  traced  the  principal  circum.stancea 


''^  -S] 

■ ».. 

f'  •-  it 

y' 

ill 

m 

;    t. 

1  If 

I 

::iSS«')b 

f  i'vH ';  ■ 

Iffe-r 

mi 

mi- 

km 


pa  ~. 


i 


■•1; 


48 


SKETCH   OI'-   ST.  .TAMI^S'S   l>AlUSn. 


ill  the  historv  of  the  Parisli  dnwii  to  the  time  when 
the  Rev.  K.  B.  Diniie,  1).  I).,  tii-st  beeamo  connected 
with  it.  Tliis  wa,<  in  .Inly,  183(5.  Wlien  Dr.  Dninc 
eoninieuced  his  niini.stry  in  St.  James,  tlie  olJ  chiircii, 
wliieh  had  been  bnilt  before  tlic  Revolntion,  wa.s  found 
to  be  in  a  condition  demanding  i-ej),iii-s  nearly  cqwal 
to  the  cost  of  a  new  (■hureh. 

After  giving  the  matter  a  degree  of  consideration 
whicli  its  importance  demanded,  it  wa.s  judgc<l  be.st 
by  the  veistry  and  congregation  to  abandon  the  old 
site,  which,  as  we  have  already  stated,  was  partly  in 
the  street,  and  ei-ect  a  new  building  on  a  more  eligible 
lot,  a  portion  of  tlie  materials  of  the  old  building  t« 
be  used  in  erecting  the  new.  With  a  degree  of  una- 
nimity rarely  equalled  in  undei-takings  of  this  kind 
the  enterprise  wa.s  connneneed,  and  liappily  comlucted 
to  its  com])lction. 

The  destruction  of  the  old  cluireh,  however,  thougli 
absolutely  necessary  from  its  decayed  and  dann-erous 
condition,  was  greatly  deploi-ed  by  many  of  the  con- 
gregation, particularly  the  older  members.  It  was 
one  of  the  landmarks  of  the  town,  had  withstood  the 
storms  of  the  Revolution,  and,  though  battered  by 
the  elements,  and  gray  with  the  mosses  of  age,  was  a 
connecting  link  between  the  jiresent  and  the  ])a.st— 
an  object  venerable  from  its  antiquity  and  hallowed 
by  the  tenderest  associations. 

Witlnn  its  venerable  walls  the  ancestors  of  tho.se 
who,  with  heavy  hearts,  now  witnessed  its  destruc- 
tion, had  j,.)ined  in  sacred   worship  and   held  sweet 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PAKISE.      49 

communion  together.  Its  broad  aisles  had  echoed  to 
then-  tread,  to  their  songs  of  praise  and  fervent  prayer 
It  was  at  that  altar  they  had  dedicated  themselves  to 
the  service  of  the  Almighty,  around  tiiat  chancel  they 
had  knelt  and  received  the  blessing,  and  through  its 
open  portals  they  had  been  borne  to  the  adjoining 
graveyard,  surrounding  in  deatli  the  church  so  en- 
deared to  them  in  life.  The  feelings  excited,  there, 
fore,  in  the  minds  of  those  who  stood  by,  and  wit- 
nessed its  dismantled  roof,  its  crumbling  walls,  and 
hstened  to  the  wild  winds  sweejiing  through  iti  de- 
serted couits,  and  syllabling,  as  it  were,  the^names  of 
other  days,  were  painful  in  the  extreme,  and  could 
only  find  expression  in  the  mute  eloquence  of  teans. 

The  familiar  form  of  an  old  time  friend,  unpre- 
tending and  quaint,  rough  and  unpolished,  and  wtli 
iione  of  the  adornments  of  modem  art,  soon  disap- 
peared from  the  scene,  and  lives  now  only  in  the 
cherished  recollections  of  the  past. 

The  following  notice  of  the  laying  of  the  corner 
stone  of  the  new  Church  of  St.  James  is  taken  from 
the  Wilminffton  Advertiser  and  Wiimmgtoii  Weekly 
Chronkh  of  April  5,  1839  : 

"  The  corner  stone  of  the  new  edifice  designed  for 
the  use  of  the  congregation  of  St.  James's  parish  was 
iaid  m  this  town  on  Wednesday,  the  3d  instant,  by 
tlie  Rev.  R.  B.  Drane,  the  rector  of  the  parish,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Wardens  and  ^^estry  and  a  large 
number  of  spectators.  At  half  past  ten,  a.  m.,  a  pro- 
cession was  formed  at   the  lecture  room,   near  the 


p.  tip,  ^• 


ill-*.:  ;: 

if 


^:. 


t\. 


-  .Jit 


'*■,'■ 

!,;■■    ■ 

Ml    ,  -    . 

•    f 

50 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  JAMES's  TARISn. 


groiind,  ami  |.i-o<'ocdcd  tn  the  site  of  tlic  new  build- 
ing, at  tlic  soutlieasteni  intersection  of  Market  and 
Third  streets,  where,  after  a]>iiro].ria1c  religious  exer- 
cises, an  impressive  address  was  delivered  by  the  rev- 
erend rector. 

"After  expressing    his  gi-eat   gi'atification  at  the 
event  which  had  called  them  together,  .and  the  pleas- 
ing prospects  which  were  opening  before  the  parish, 
tlie  s]ieaker  proceeded  to  pay  a  merited  compliment, 
to  tlie  good  taste  of  the  Vestry  exhibited  in  the  mode 
according  to  which    they   had  determined    to    erect, 
their  church.    The  .style  of  the  building,  he  remarked,.- 
(which   is  Gothic),  was  peculiarly  adapted  to  sacred 
uses.     The  experience  of  ages  had  j.roved  that  it  was. 
better  calculated  than  any  other  to  fdl  men  with  awe 
and  reverence,  to  repress  the  tumult  of  unreflecting 
gaiety,  and  to  render  tlie  mind  sed.ate  and  .solemn.    It 
was  a  just  remark,  that  whatever  tended  to  make  men 
serious  and  devout  when  they  aj^proached  the  Divine 
M.ajesty,  w.as  an  auxiliary  to  His  service,  and  the  pro- 
viding of  that  which  i)roduced  this  eflect  in  the  high- 
est deg,-ee,  was  an  act  by  which  we,  doubtless,  hon-  ■ 
ored  our  Maker. 

•' This  w.as  followed  by  some  appropriate  remark.'?, 
on  the  hallowed  a.ssoeiations  which  would  forever- 
hereafter  be  connected  with  the  spot  on  which  they 
stood,  and  the  influence  of  the  peculiar  ser^'^ees  of 
the  Cluireh  in  rendering  these  associations  valuable. 
It  was  one  of  the  distinguishing  excellencies  of  our 
worship,   he    remarked,   that    many  of    the  prayers 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  .TAMES'S   PAEISII. 


.51 


■' 


whicli  it  contains  had  come  down  to  us  from  the 
earliest  and  jmrest  ages  of  Christianity.  They  were 
the  prayers  of  Basil  and  .Chrysostom,  of  Cyin-ian  and 
Augustine,  of  Cranmer,  Latimer  and  Kidley;  and  it 
was  a  pleasing  thought  that  our  children  would  here-^ 
after  be  able  to  say  of  ns,  as  we  now  say  of  tlie  bless- 
ed men  who  have  gone  befoi-e  us,  'These  prayers  our 
fathers  have  uttered,  and  this  sanctuary,  erected  by 
their  zeal  and  liberality,  is  the  patrimony  which  they 
have  bequeathed  to  us.' 

"At  the  conclusion  of  his  address  the  rector  read 
the  following  pajier : 

"  Pro  JJco,  pro  Ecdesia,  pro  iiomiium,  salute.  In  the 
name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy 
Ghost     Amen. 

"  This  corner  stone  of  St  James's  Church  is  laid 
this  third  day  of  April,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty-nine  (1839),  the 
Eight  Eev.  Levi  Silliman  Ives,  D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  being 
Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  North  Carolina,  the  B^ 
Rev.  Robert  Brent  Drane,  A.  M.,  being  the  Rector  of  ' 
the  Parish,  and  officiating  on  the  occasion.   ' 

"  Dr.  A.  J.  DeRosset,  )  ^,      ,  ',„    , 
■.     ,■    ■.      "  William  0.  Lord,    \  Church  Wardens.    ■ 

"Dr.  Thomas  H,  Weight,. Dr.  A.  J.  DeRosset,  ■ 
Jr.,  William  B.  Giles,  Willlam  A.  Williams, 
James  T..  Miller,  Vestrymen. 

"The  plan  of  this  building  was  designed  by  T.  U. 
Walter,  of  Philadelphia,  and  executed  under  the  di- 


lf-f:i' 


mm-' 

:I hi  -"^ 

ftS.Jfi  5  ■: 
'■'•Tin*'  i"-'- 

ll'M"!!' 

'A  >, ;  • 


Sir 

'It 

fi^''':,  r'  • 

Wii-  ■ 
■  i^^mB  . 


52  SKETCH   01'   ST.   JAMES'S   TAKISU. 

ivctioii  vi  Jolin  S.  Norris.  of  New  York,  hv  J.  C. 
Wood,  as  principal  mason,  and  C.  11.  Dall,  as  princi- 
pal carpenter.  '  Otiicr  fouiulation  can  no  man  lay 
than  that  which  is  laid,  even  Jesus  Christ.'  '  May 
the  gates  of  hell  never  prevail  against  it' 

"  The  oi'iginal  Chnivli  uf  St.  James  stood  about  lifty 
yards  ca.'^t  of  this  spot,  near  the  eoi-ncr  of  the  grave- 
yard. It  was  ciinnnenccil  in  the  year  1751,  but  not 
completed  till  1770.  In  con.sciiuencc  of  its  location 
(partly  in  the  street),  its  dcea3-cd  condition,  and  the 
inconvenience  of  its  internal  ariangements,  it  was 
taken  down  in  lS3tl.  and  a  jKirtion  of  its  materials 
used  in  the  erection  of  this  building.  The  lot  on 
which  the  ])rescut  chureh  is  erected  was  purcha.sed 
from  Ur.  A.  J.  UoRosset,  Sr.,  for  tlio  .sum  of  one 
thousand  dollars,  of  which  sum  the  Ladies'  Working 
Society  and  the  Juvenile  Working  Society  have 
agreed  to  jjay  six  hundred  dollar.s. 

"  The  Right  Rev.  John  Stark  Ravenseroft,  the  first 
BisUop  of  the  Diocese  of  North  Carolina,  a  native  of 
Prince  George  county,  Va.,  was  born  in  the  year 
1772  :  was  ordained  deacon  the  25th  of  April,  1817 ; 
and  priest  the  6th  of  May  follownng,  by  the  Right 
Rev.  Richard  C.  Moore,  Bisliop  of  the  Diocese  of 
Virginia;  wa.s  unanimously  elected  Bishoj)  of  North 
Carolina,  April  12,  1823,  by  the  Convention  of  the 
Chureh  licld  at  Salisbury  in  that  year,  and  was  duly 
consecrated  to  the  ofBce  in  St.  Paul's  Church,  in  the 
City  of  Philadelphia,  22d  May,  1823.  At  the  time  of 
Lis  election  he   was  rector  of   St.  James's  Chm-ch, 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJfES's  PAKISH.  . 


5.3 


Mecklenburg  County,  Va.  Bishop  Ravenseroft*  de- 
parted this  life,  in  the  City  of  Raleigh,  on  5th  ilareh, 
1830,  and  his  rem.ains  were  deposited  under  the  chan- 
cel of  Christ  Church,  Raleigh.  He  bequeathed  his 
library  to  the  Diocese,  and  the  copy  of  his  works  to 
the  Episcopal  Bible  and  Prayer  B.wk  Society  of  thi.s 
Diocese. 

"  Martin  Van  Bqren,  Pre^u/e»i  ofihc  Unikd  States. 
"  Edward  B.  Dudley,  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 
"  Alexander  Anderson,  .Magistrate  of  Police,  Town 

of  Wihrdmjton. 
"James  F.  McRee,  Armand  J.  DeRosset,  Jr., 

W.  J.  Harrlss,  E.  P.  Hall,  Commissioners  of 

the  Tou-n  of  Wilmington. 
"  John  A.  Lillinoton,  Toivn  Clerk. 

"  Population  of  Wilmington,  3,500." 

With  the  above  there  were  deposited  in  tlie  corner 
sUmc  a  Bible,  a  Prayer  Book,  Journal  of  the  Conven- 
tion of  North  Carolina,  for  1838,  Bi.shop  Ives's  second 
charge  to  the  clergy  of  his  diocese.  Journal  of  the 
General  Convention  for  1838,  Churchman's  Almanac, 
Swords's  Pocket  Almanac,  "  Tlie  Banner  of  the 
Cross,"   "The  Spirit  of  Missions,"  "Journal  of  Reli- 

■*  Bishop  Ravenseroft,  consecrated  by  Bisliop  White,  of  Penn., 
presidiog;  and  Bishops  Griswold,  of  Eastern  Diocese;  Kemp,  of  Md.' 
Croea,  of  N.  J. ;  Eowen,  S.  C. ;  and  Broivnell,  of  Conn.,  assisting.     ' 


K'r  I 


tMif 

imr 


'T!-;F 


h.  If,!-... 


r.i 


SICUTCH   OF   ST.   .T/VMES'S   I'AKISn. 


gious  Kiliii'iitiiin,"  '■  Chililivii's  Sundnv  School  M:ig- 
x/.uu\"  "  Wilminutnii  Ailvoitiser."  •' Wiliiiiiigtoii 
ChiMiiicIo,"  the  Cliavtci-  cif  the  \Viliiiiiij.tou  ami  Ha- 
leigli  Hiiilniiul  Oompiiiiy,  aiuJ  several  speoiiiuMis  of 
AiiU'ricau  roiii. 

'I  lie  eliureli  whose  eoi-ner  stjjiu'  was  tlius  laiil  was 
so  far  eompleted  within  twelve  iiioiitlis  as  to  be  ready 
for  coiiseoi-atioii.  'J'his  .solemnity  was  pei-foninvl  hy 
the  Kigl.t  Rev.  Dr.  Ives,  assisteil  hy  the  roetor  and 
several  other  clergymen,  on  the  fourth  Sunday  iu 
Lent.  .Afaroh  29tli,  1840,  and  the  house  thus  opened 
for  di\-iue  serviee  lias  ever  since  been  well  attemled 
by  a  large  and  increasing  congregation  of  woi-sliippei-s. 
The  beautiful  bronze  chandeliers,  by  wdiioh  the 
chureh  wa.s  lighted  jirior  t<^  the  introduction  of  ga.s, 
as  well  as  the  furniture  for  the  desk  and  imlpit,  were 
the  gifts  of  the  ladies  of  the  congregation.  The  bell 
and  clock— the  latter  now,  and  for  years  past,  like  its 
generous  donor,  .silent— were  presented  to  the  parish 
by  that  estimable  gentleman,  the  late  P.  K.  Dickinson, 
ii-sf].  The  marble  font  was  purchased  bv  the  rector, 
with  money  i>lfieed  in  his  hands  by  the  'little  girls  of 
his  charge.  The  communion  plate  of  the  church  con- 
sists of  one  nagon,  two  chalices,  one  i)aten  and  altar 
spoon,  all  of  virgin  silver,  and  each,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  spoon,  inscribed  with  the  appropriate 
rnotto:  "  Cruce  Christi  Confido." 

This  plate  is  understood,  in  the  first  instance,  to 
have  been  jji-eseuted  to  the  parLsh  by  the  late  Gen- 
eral Smith,  of  Brunswick  county,  formerly  Govenior 


;i 


SICETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH.  .55 

<of  the  State.  In  1868  the  flagon,  being  found  too 
small  for  the  increasing  number  of  communicants, 
was  recast  with  additions  of  pure  silver  into  cue  of 
larger  size,  sunnouuted  by  a  globe  of  rock  crystal 
and  a  cross  of  solid  gold.  The  cost  of  these  changes 
having  been  in  part  contributed  by  the  friends  of  the 
late  General  J.  Johnston  Pettigrew,  of  the  Confed- 
erate serviee,  that  fact  is  recorded  by  an  inscription 
upon  the  inside  of  the  base. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Vestry,  at  the  time  of  the 
■completion  of  the  new  church,  consisted  of  but  seveu 
members,  instead  of  twelve,  as  at  present,  and  of  those 
■seven,  four  have  long  since  paid  the  debt  of  nature, 
y'lz :  Dr.  A.  J.  DeRossct,  Sr.,  William  C.  Lord,  Dr. 
Thomas  H.  Wright,  and  James  T.  Miller,  men  prom- 
inent alike  in  Churck  and  State,  whose  characters 
■■shed  a  lustre  upon  this  community,  and  whose  memo- 
lies  will  remain  fresh  and  green  long  after  the  marble 
■which  records  their  virtues  shall  have  mouldered  into 
'dust 

Of  one  of  these,  himself  identified  with  our  city  for 
nearly  a  century,  and  by  ancestral  descent  for  more 
than  a  century,  a  citizen  whose  term  of  years  exceeded 
much  the  utmost  limit  assigned  by  the  Psalmist,  and 
whose  whole  life  was  spent  in  our  midst,  without  the 
slightest  stain  upon  his  escutcheon,  it  seems  to  us 
eminently  proper  that  something  more  than  the  bare 
mention  of  hus  name  should  be  given,  as  alike  due  to 
the  memory  of  the  dead,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  ex- 
ample to  us  who  follow  after. 


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SKETCH    OF  ST.   JASIES'S  PAKISH. 


Dr.  Arm.nn.l  John  OcRossf-f,  c.f  wliom  wc  speak, 
wns  born  in  Wilniington,  November  17,  1767.  His 
fiithei-,  Iktopes  John  DcRoPset,  wiis  M.ayor  of  tlic  town 
fit  tlie  time  of  tlie  j.ass.age  of  the  Stan"ip  Act  by  Par- 
liament, aii.l  acted  well  liis  j.nrt  (l\irin<r  the  froiil)lou.<i 
time,^  of  tliat  perirxl  As  ilhi.strative  of  tlie  character 
of  the  Cape  Fe.av  j.eople  in  the  ^' times  that  tried 
men's  sonis,"  it  m:'.y  not  be  out  of  place,  even  in  a 
work  like  this,  to  I'eeall  .«ome  of  their  proceedings: 

The  Stamp  Act  received  the  King's  a.ssent  tlie  22d 
-Afarch.  1765.  The  people  of  North  Carolina  were  so 
w.arm  in  their  indignation,  and  so  violent  in  their 
condemnation  of  this  violation  of  the  rights  of  the 
colonists,  that  Governor  Tryoii  was  afraid  to  convene 
the  General  Assembly.  Early  in  the  year  1766  the 
sloop  of  w.ar  Diligence  an'ivcd  in  the  river  Cap© 
Fear,  having  on  board  the  stamped  paper  destined  for 
the  nse  of  this  province,  and  on  the  6tli  of  January 
the  Governor  issued  a  pi'oclamation  announcing  the- 
circumstance,  and  calling  on  all  persons  authorized  to 
act  as  distnbutoi-s  of  tlie  stamps  to  make  application 
therefoi-  to  the  commander  of  the  sloop. 

But  on  the  first  notice  of  the  approach  of  this 
vessel.  Colonel  John  Ashe,  of  the  county  of  New 
Hanover,  and  Colonel  Waddell,  of  the  county  of 
Brunswick,  h.aving  embodied  the  militia  of  those- 
counties,  marched  at  the  head  of  them  to  the  town  of 
Brunswick,  before  which  she  was  anchored,  and 
notified  the  comm.ander  of  their  determination  to  re- 
sist the  landing  of  the  stamps. 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES's  PARISH.      57 

It  was  judged  best  not  to  make  the  attempt  A 
party  was  left  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  sloop,  and 
the  rest  of  the  small  army  marched  to  the  town  of 
W  ilmmgton,  carrying  with  them  one  of  her  boats 
Having  ii.xed  a  ma.st  in  her  with  a  flag  attached,  they 
hoisted  her  on  a  cart  and  drove  triumphantl)-  throuo-h 
the  streets,  the  inhabitants  all  joining  in  the  proces- 
sion. At  night  the  town  was  illuminated.  On  the  ' 
next  day  a  great  concourse  of  people,  headed  by  CoL 
Ashe,  i)roceeded  to  the  Governor's  house,*  and  de- 
manded to  sjieak  with  James  Houston,  one  of  the 
Council,  who  had  been  ajipointed  Stamj)  Jfastei-  for 
the  Province. 

The  Governor  first  declared  his  intention  not  to- 
allow  it,  unless-  Houston  would  come  willingly,  but 
the  people  threatened  to  set  fire  to  the  house,'  and 
proceeded  to  make  preparations  therefor.  The  Gov- 
ernor desired  the  Colonel  to  step  in  and  talk  ^x-ith 
the  stamp  master,  who,  finding  himself  obno.xious  to 
the  i)coi)le,  went  to  the  Market  House,  where  he  took 
a  solemn  oath  not  to  proceed  in  the  duties  of  his 
office,  on  which  the  people  gave  three  cheere,  and 
conducted  him  back  to  the  Governor's.! 

In  the  latter  part  of  February,  at  a  general  militia 
meetmg  in  the  town  of  Wilmington,  a  barbacued  ox 
and  a  few  barrels  of  beer  were  ofiEered  by  the  Gov- 

*  The  Governor  resided  at  thot  time  on  the  souUi  side  of 
Marlcet,  between  Front  and  Water  streets,  a  little  above  tbe  store 
oow  occupied  by  Mr.  H.  Burkheimer. 

t  Martin's  History  of  North  Carolina. 


mm: 


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SKETOn   OF   ST.   JAMES'S    PARISH. 


cnioi'  to  the  peoplo,  only  to  have  his  hospitality  con- 
tumuod.  Tho  ox  w:i,s  thrown  into  tho  rivef,  and  tlio 
beer  dischurgud  upon  the  ground. 

On  the  26th  of  .June,  the  Mayoi-,  Recorder,  and 
Aldermen  of  Wilmington  presented  an  addr0s.s  to  the 
Governor,  congratulating  hini  upon  the  repeal  of  the 
Stamp  Act. 

Tlie  address  ended  with  a  denunciation  of  tho  mis- 
representations that  had  been  made  to  the  Governor 
of  the  conduct  of  the  t*)wn.  The  Governor  replied 
that  his  impression  of  the  deportment  of  the  citiz.cns 
of  the  town  grew  out  of  lii.s  own  ob.servations.  To 
this  John  DeRosset,  the  Mayor,  and  nineteen  gentle- 
men of  the  Board  rejoined:  They  profes.sed  "ex- 
treme sorrow  at  some  of  the  expressions  in  the 
Governor's  answer,  wliieh  might  be  construed  to 
charge  the  Borough  with  some  marks  of  intentional 
disrcsi)cct,  which  they  diselaimed,  affirming  that  thoy 
should  sincerely  oondenin  it,  as  inconsistent  with  the 
dutiful  affection  towards  the  King's  representative 
which  they  should  always  cultivate,  with  the  grateful 
return  of  sentiment  which  his  personal  merit  justly 
■claimed."  They  concluded,  "that  if,  oppres,sed  by 
the  late  act,  some  commotion  of  the  county  seemed  to 
threaten  a  dei)urture  from  moderation,  the  Governor, 
they  hoped,  would  not  impute  those  transactions  to 
any  other  motive  than  a  conviction  that  moderation 
ceases  to  be  a  virtue  when  the  liberty  of  the  British 
subject  is  in  danger." 

At  what  point  in  America  was   the  Stamp  Act 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAilES's  I'AIUSH. 


59 


more  fearlessly  or  gallantly  ojjposed':"  No  di.sgui.sc, 
no  stratagem,  no  shriidcing,  but  straightforward,  open, 
manly  resistance. 

There  are  few  brighter  pages  in  the  history  of 
North  Carolina  than  those  which  record  the  aetion.s 
of  such  men  as  Harnett,*  Ashe,  Waddcll,  Lillington, 
Moore,  Howe,  and  others,  all  of  this  section  of  thc° col- 
ony. This  manly  resistance  to  oppression  in  any  form 
was  charaetorhstie  of  our  people,  and  had  many  noble 
illustrations  in  the  recent  war  between  tlie  states. 

It  was  amidst  such  scenes  and  among  such  a  people 
that  the  youthful  daj-s  of  Di-.  Deliosset  were  passed. 
In  early  life  he  had  advantages  for  the  attainment  of 
knowledge  beyond  most  young  men  of  his  day,  at- 
tending school  in  liillsboro'  and  matriculating  at  the 
College  of  New  Jeraey,  at  Princeton,  in  1784.  In  tho 
year  1788  he  went  to  Philadelphia,  to  attend  the  lec- 
tures at  the  Medical  College,  I'endered  famous  by  the  ■ 
genius  and  skill  of  the  celebrated  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush, 
and  became  the  pupil  of  tliat  great  man.  It  wa.s  not 
long  before  he  won  the  friendship  and  esteem  of  his 
preceptor.  In  company  with  Dr.  Rush  he  enjoyed 
tho  honor  and  pleasure  of  several  interviews  with 
Benjamin  Franklin. 

He  received  his  medical  diploma  in  the  year  1790 
and  immediately  returned  home,  and  with  eharacter- 

*  Tlio  tomb  of  Cornelius  HaraeU  is  atill  lo  bo  seen  in  tlje  old 
bunar  ground  of  St.  Jamos's.  A  monument,  commoinorati-ze  of  his 
exalted  patriotism,  should  long  since  have  been  reared  to  this 
"Samuel  Adams  of  North  Carolina,"  as  he  was  justly  termed. 


CO 


SKETCH   OF   ST.   JAMES'S   PARISH. 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJVIES'S  I'AUISH. 


(31 


'st.c   energy  a,„l   in,l„st,-y  e.tcre.l  ni„m   the  pn,ctiec 
of  his  profcsl,,,,     .Inst  hefnre  he  opc.,e,l  his  office 
the  venenihle  Dr.  .7ol,„  Fergus  retired  from  tl,e  pro' 
fess,o„,  .an,]  u-ith  Inn,   finally  .lisnj.pe.ire,!  t),e  cocked 
-M  from  the  Lower  Capo  Fear.     But  he  left  behind 
h.m   as  ccniipetitors   in  his  profession    Drs.    Fer-us 
Claypole,  Col.ham,  Geekie,  Laroqne,  Nathaniel  Hill' 
■     and  some  of  these  were  fornii.lable  ant<',iro„ists      Dr' 
Fergus  h.a.l  served  ,as  a  surgeon  in  the  annv,  and  w.xs 
pronounced  by    ^[r.   Joeelyu*   nhe  greatest  genius 
over  ra.sed   in  the  town."     Clayix.le,t  Cobham  and 
Hdl  were  all  well  educated  and  skilful  practitioners; 
Ur.  Hdl  had  receive.l  his  medical  education  at  Edin- 
burgh,  and  was  gifte.l  l>y   n.tture   witlt  a   powerful 
inimc  .and   vigorous  constitution.     He  succeeded  to 
the  chief  part  of  the  practice  of  the  elder  Fergus. 

Thougli  tlie  tield  was  thu.s  crowded,  Dr.  D°eRosset 
by  ns  intelligence  and  a,s.siduity,  .soon  secured  the 
public  esteem,  and  obtained  a  lucrative  and  respect- 
.^5^1e  share  of  jmtronage,  second  only  to  that  of  Dr. 

Buring  the  perio.l  extending  from  the  close  of  the 
devolution  t«  the  .second  war  with  Great  Britain,  tlie 
people  of  Wilmington  and  its  vicinage  were  distin- 
guislied   for  gaiety,   cordiality,  generosity  and  .socia- 

•  S.mud  R.  Jocdyn,  the  gr.at  equity  lawyer  of  Xorth  Carolina. 

.nd  ..       ^^'^       "'^  ''™"'"  "'"  ""  P'"l^1'-''l'''ia  editor  and  printer, 
.-^Qd  cau>o  ov.r  to  tl.is  country  «iti,  Willian.  Penn.     He  was  a  .real 

or ;; tcit;  "  '™'"^'"'  ■-"  '^^^"''^''"-  °^  ">^  '-^  ^-  o «.'', 


bility.  ]\[any  opulent  rice  planters  made  the  town 
their  residence  for  a  great  part  of  the  year.  Men  of 
leisure,  in  conjunction  with  gentlemen  of  the  liberal 
professions,  moderated  and  relined  the  spirit  of  trade, 
and  gave  an  elevated  tone  to  society.  Their  dwellings 
were  plain,  furniture  simple— not  for  show,  but  daily 
use.  There  was  much  hearty  social  intercourse,  and 
with  it  a  hirge  indulgence  in  the  pleasures  of  the 
table.  The  woods  furnished  game  in  abundance,  and 
the  ri\-er  and  neighboring  ocean  many  varieties  of 
fish.  Racing  was  generally  indulged  in,  and  gentle- 
men prided  themselves  rather  upon  the  quality  of 
their  horses  than  the  style  of  their  equipages. 

Self-poised  and  temperate  in  all  things,  Dr.  DeRos- 
set,  while  he  shared  the  pleasures  of  his  companions,- 
was  never  known  to  transgress  the  limits  of  propriety 
and  moderation.  He,  in  the  whole  course  of  his  life, 
never  knew,  save  by  the  report  of  others,  what  wa.s 
meant  by  a  "debauch." 

In  1822  the  doctor  was  elected  a  Director  in  the 
Bank  of  Ca])e  Fear,  and  was  annually  re-elected  until 
Ins  death.  In  the  discharge  of  the  functions  of  this 
office,  he  was,  in  the  language  of  the  late  president 
of  the  bank,  Dr.  Thomas  H.  Wright,  "faithful  and 
regular  iu  attendance  at  the  sessions  of  the  Board,  was 
a  feariess  and  independent  officer,  aud  rendered  the 
bank  much  valuable  sendee."' 

Years  rolled  on,  and  different  generations  of  phy- 
sicians disappeared  from  the  scene,  and  new  actors 
made  their  entry  upon  the  stage,  but  the  "  old  doctor," 


\l  r: 


■I  I    jr^ 

i>! 

Si,'.!!''-'-  f-  ■ 
M»5i:'i     1 


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lit 


02 


SKETCH   OF   S>T.   .lAMES'S   I'AKTWII. 


SKE'i'CII   OF   ST.   JAMES'S  TAUISH. 


63 


ns  lie  was  affect iniiatcly  called  !or  nearly  half  a  cen- 
tury, lield  his  own  well  against  all  comers.  His  ]n-actice 
Av.as  ahv.ayslarce  and  remunerative.  In  liis  intercom-se 
with  his  brethren  he  scrnjnilovisly  ohsei'ved  the  rule? 
of  medical  etiquette,  was  bland,  courteous  and  polite, 
.and  ever  ready  to  rendei-  them  a  service;  was  promj)t. 
an<i  punctual  in  his  attendance  upon  his  patients,  and 
in  the  chamber  of  the  sick  he  soothed  by  his  .sympathy 
.ind  the  almost  feminine  tenderness  of  his  manner. 

He  was  for  many  years  a  mem1)er  of  St.  James's 
Church — one  of  its  main  pillars — zealous  in  its  cause, 
ever  alive  to  its  interest.s,  and  contributing  Largely  to 
its  .support  and  extension.  When  the  old  church 
was  torn  down,  and  a  lot  puix-hased  for  a  new  edifice, 
the  ground  being  nan-ow  and  confined,  tlie  doctor's 
liberality  enlarged  it  to  ample  dimensions.  When  it 
was  determined  to  erect  St.  John's,  he  presented  the 
lot  u]ion  which  tliat  beautiful  structure  now  rests. 
Tlie  pews  in  tliese  churches  were  appraised  bj'  the 
Vestry  at  sums  varying  from  one  to  four  hundred 
dollars.  Of  course  this  was  an  appeal  to  the  gener- 
osity of  the  opulent.  Dr.  DeRosset  took  a  fii-st  class 
pew  in  each  church. 

He  resided  during  his  whole  life  in  the  brick  build- 
ing at  the  intersection  of  Market  and  Third  streets,  al- 
most beneath  the  very  shadow  of  that  church  lie  loved 
so  well,  and  there,  on  the  l.st  April,  1859,  having  out- 
lived all  liis  contemporaries,  at  the  ripe  old  age  of  four 
score  and  twelve  years,  he  was  gathered  to  his  fatliei-s, 
leaving  behind  him  not  an  enemy  in  the  world. 


!i 


What  an  example  for  the  young,  the  life  of  this 
patriarch,  passing  witli  unstained  robes  through  the 
temptations  of  so  long  a  journey  I  Surely  such  a  man 
is  worthy  of  praise,  and  deserves  to  be  lield  in  per- 
petual remembrance. 

In  Januaiy,  1843,  tlie  Eev.  E.  B.  Drane  resigned 
the  rectoi-ship  of  the  parish,  and  accepted  tlie  presi- 
dency of  Shelby  College,  Shelbyville,  Ky.  The  Eev. 
Richard  H.  Wilmer,  now  Bishoji  of  tlie  Diocese 
of  Alabama,  took  cliarge  of  the  parish,  as.sisted  by 
his  brother,  the  Eev.  George  Wilmer;  but  his  tenn' 
of  service,  owing  to  the  ill  health  of  'his- family,  lasted 
but  a  few  montlis.  He  resigned  the  rectorship  in 
the  spring  of  1844,  and  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  Drane^ 
who  was  most  cordially  welcomed  back  by  his  old 
jiarishioners. 

Under  his  administration,  and  by  the  blessing  of 
the  Almighty,  the  parish  gi-eatly  increased  in  num- 
bers ;  so  much,  that  more  churoli  accommodation  wa.s. 
needed  than  tlie  limits  of  St.  James's  would  afford. 
,  After  mature  consideration  it  was  determined  by  the 
congregation  to  build  another  church,  and  St  John's 
was  the  result,  a  parish  organized  from  St.  James's, 
and  indebted  almost  entirely  to  the  liberality  of  its 
members  for  its  erection  and  completion.  Indeed 
many,  if  not  all,  of  those  who  subscribed  most  liber- 
ally to  the  erection  of  the  new,  still  continued  their 
connection  with  the  old.  Younger  members  of  tlie- 
same  families  organized  the  new  parish,  while  their 
fathers  worshipped  in  the  old,  and  all  joined  heartily  ' 


I'.    ^.         ;  ■ 


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SKETCH  OI-'   ST.   JAMES'S   PARISQ. 


in  the  work  of  rai.sing  this  new  temple  to  the  worship 

:  I  of  the  hving  God.  ' 

■•  j  The  coi-iier  stono  of  the  new  churcli  of  St.  John's 

c  .''  '•^"'^  '•'"1  ^^'''1'  "I'ln-opriatc  religious  services  on   tlie 

;:    ,  21st  duv  of  November,    1853,   by  the   Right  Re\-. 

:     I  Thomas  Atkin.son,  Bishop  of  the"  Diocese  of  North 

Carolina,  assisted  b\-   the  .Rev.  R.   B.  Drano,  D.  D., 

Rector  of  St.  James's.     The  members  of  the  church' 

met  at  St.  James's,  and,  having  foi-mo.l  a  procession, 

_  repaired  to  the  site  of  the  new  edifice,  corner  of  Third 

;■  ;  :  and  Red   Cross  streets,  wlierc,  according  to  the  pre- 

;;  ;  I  scribed  forms  of   the  Church,   the  corner  stone  was 

I  ' ;  placed  in  ])osition,  there  to  remain,  in  all  human  pro- 

J  '  babilit^-,  long  after  those  who  wore  present  upon  the 

■;  : ,  occasion  sIkiuIiI  have  passed  awa\'  from  earth. 

•  ij  After  prayer  and  praise,  a  document,  of  which  the 

;  , :  following  is  a  copy,  was  deposited  in  the  leaden  ea.se, 

I  together  with  the  articles  tlierein  enumerated,  and  the 

box  being  .■soldered  was  placed  in  the  stono,  it,s  future 

resting  place : 

"  In  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Sou,  and 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.     Amen. 

'■  This  comer  stone  of  St.  Jolm's  Church,  in  the 
Parish  of  St.  James,  is  laid  this  21st  day  of  Novem- 
ber, in  the  year  of  Our  Lord,  One  Thousand,  Eight 
Hundred  and  Fifty-TIa-oe,  the  Riglvt  Rev.  Thoma.s 
Atkinson,  1).  D.,*  Bishop  of  tlie  Pi-otcsfcmt  Episcopal 

*  Bishop  Atkinson  was  consecrated  in  St.  Jolm's  CImpel  iSew 
York  City,  October  11,  1853,  by  Bi.hop  Browncll,  of  Conn'ecticut 
(presiding);  Bisliopfl  ilcllvaine,  of  Ohio;    Doane, 'of  Now  Jersey 


I; 


U 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PAEISH.       65 

Church  in  the  Diocese  of  North  Carolina,  officiating 
on  the  occasion  ;  the  Rev.  R.  B.  Drane,  D.  D  present 
and  assisting,  -Tpicscni;, 

"Dr.  Thomas  H.  Wright,) 

"  Dr.  A.  J.  DeRosset,         '  |    ^^'ardeiis. 

"Jaiies  ANDERso>f,  T.  W.  Brown,  A.  If  Van 
BoKKELEN,  N.  N.  Nixon,  A.  A.  Brown,  GEORaE 
Davis,  Cornelius  Myers,  C.  W.  Bkadley  Vestr,, 
men.  '  •^ 

''  The  plan  of  the  building  was  designed  by  Wells 
and  Dudley,  Architects,  of  New  York. 

"Franklin  Pierce,  President  of  the  United  States. 
'•  David  S.  Reid,  Governor  of  North  Carolina. 
"John  Dawson,  J%wfrate  of  Police  of  Toom  of 
Wilmington. 

"W.  G  Howard,  T.  C.  Miller,  S.  D.  Wallace, 
Dr.  W.  W.  Harriss,  Miles  Costin,  C. 
H.  Dudley,  Ojmmisuoners  of  Oie  Tovm  of 
Wilrninglon. 

"Richard  Morris,  Town  Clerk." 

Articles  deposited  in  the  corner  stone  :  One  Bible 
one  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  the  English  lan- 
guage, one  Book  of  Common  Prayer  in  the  German 

MoCoskry,  of  Michigan;  and  Otey,  ofTennesaee  (assisting).  On  this 
OccM.on.  tho  lines  of  English  and  American  sueoession  wero  reunited 
-Bishop  Spencer,  of  Madras,  and  Biahop  Medley,  of  Fredorioktoa 
taningpart  in  the  act  of  consecration.  ' 

6  . 


■\  '.''■ 


1 1 


jr.: 


EM 


I'f*' 


CG 


sioETcii  or  ST.  jA:(n5s's  pakish. 


Innguiige,  Joarnnl  o(  llio  General  Convention  for 
1850,  Journal  of  the  Convention  of  the  Dioeese  of 
North  Carolina  for  1853,  Eev.  Dr.  Dranc's  Historical 
Notices  of  St.  James's  Parish,  Swords's  Pocket  Al- 
manno,  and  Church  Register  for  1853.  Tlie  following 
Church  papei-s  r  "  The  Register,"  of  November  19th,. 
1853;  ".Church  Jounial,"  of  November  3d,  1853; 
"  Church  Herald,'' of  November  4th,  1853;  and  the 
following  papei-s  of  the  town  :  "  The  Daily  Journal,"  of 
November  21, 1853 ;  "  Wilmington  Uer.ald,"  of  Novem- 
ber 19,  1853  ;  "  Tri-Weekly  Commercial,"  of  Novem- 
ber 19, 1853  ;  ■•  Weekly  Commercial,"  of  November 
18,  1853 ;  and  '■  Wilmington  Free  Press,"  of  November 
11,  1853  ;  together  with  specimens  of  American  coin. 
The  services  were  of  a  very  impressive  character. 
Even  the  mere  worldly  man,  living  only  for  the  tran- 
sitory pleasures  of  this  life,  might  have  turned  from  his 
accustomed  juath,  and  gazed  upon  such  a  scene  with 
some  re-awakening  of  holier  and  better  emotions. 
The  ceremonies  were  closed  by  the  Bishop  in  a. 
series  of  remarks,  forcible,  eloquent,  and  impressive. 
He  alluded  to  the  occasion  as  one  of  great  interest 
and  hopefulness  to  the  Church,  the  first  instance  in 
the  history  of  the  State  whei-e  the  claims  of  the 
Cliurch  demanded  in  the  same  place  an  additional 
house  of  prayer.  It  wits  an  indication  that  the  Gos- 
pel of  Christ  in  this  Diocese  was  awakening  an  ad- 
ditional interest,  and  that  from  her  late  triaP'  th& 
Church  was  moving  still  onward  in  the  true  path.  .. 
*  Tho  defection  of  Bishop  Ives.   '      '" 


SIfETCU  OF  ST.  JAJIES'S  PARISH.  (J7 

•,  ■  He  said  th.atthe  new  building  w.as  an  honor  to  the 
people  who  projected  it,  but  th.at  in  this  they  were 
:  only  supplying  the  necessary  wants  of  the  Church 
.  and  providing  for  tho.se  whom  the  limits  of  St.  James 
were  in.adequate  to  accommodate.  He  alluded  in 
feeling  terms  to  the  venerable  man  who  ha<l  given 
the  lot  upon  which  the  new  church  was  to  be  erected, 
and  paid  a  merited  tribute  to  his  Christian  charity 
and  benevolence.  He  also  spoke  in  appropriate 
terms  of  the  erection  of  houses  of  prayer,  and  of  the 
faith  and  holy  conduct  necessary  in  the  true  believer. 

The  occasion  was  a  most  interesting  one,  and  will 
long  be  remembered  by  those  who  participated  in  the 
ceremonial. 

From  unavoidable  causes  it  was  not  until  the  year 
1860  that  the  church  was  opened  for  divine  worship. 
The  Rev.  Dr.  Drane  officiated  on  the  occasion  to  a 
large  body  of  eager  and  attentive  listeners. 

Notwithstanding  the  organization  of  this  new  Par- 
ish, there  was  scarcely  any  diminution  in  the  numbers 
of  those  who  still  turned  their  faces  towards  the  hal- 
lowed precincts  of  old  St  James.  On  every  occasion 
of  public  service  its  pews  were  filled  by  devout  wor- 
shippers, and  the  rector's  heart  was  made  glad  by  the 
evidences,  almost  daily  presented,  of  the  success  of 
his  ministrations.  But,  alas !  a  heavy  calamity  was 
impending  over  the  Church  and  over  the  city.     In  a 

■  few  short  months  that  flock   would  be  without  its 

■  faithful  shepherd,  and  the  voice  of  lamentfttion  be 

■  heard  in  our  streets. 


'.'i-  'I  '<■  .  I 
i  U  :  / 


It  Jii,    r 


m 


I'i't 


m 

.'  ^  '- 

r  ::;■ 


6S 


SKUTCH  OF  ST.  JAttES'S  PARlSn. 


SKETCH  OP   ST.   JAMES'S  PARISH. 


09 


111  the  summer  of  1862,  ever  to  be  remembered  by 
ihoi^c  who  were  here  during  that  fearful  period,  the  yel- 
low fever  raged  with  terrible  malignity,  sweeping  off 
numv  "f  our  most  prominent  and  valuable  citi/.cn.<N 
All  who  could  do  so  left  for  other  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, Ijut  numbers  remained.     The  stores  were    all 
closed,  business  of  every  kind  suspended,  while  pes- 
tilence brooded    over    the    place.     A    sombre   mist 
seemed  to  overshadow  the  town,  and  to  fall  with  a 
withering    blight    upon    all    within    its    folds,    and 
amidst  the  heavy  gloom    that  slowly  settled  down, 
a  cry  of  agony  went  up,  for  there  was  scarce  a  liouse 
in  wliich  there  was  not  one  dead.     A  stillness,  as  of 
the  grave,  reigned  in  the  streets;  scarce  a  sound  was 
heard  save  the  rumbling  of  tlie  death  cart,  or  the  step 
of  some  solitary  passer  on  the  sidewalk,  the  hollow 
echo  of  whoso  footfalls  made  the  listener  shudder. 
It  was  a  time  of  war,  of  pestilence,  and  famine — the 
living  were  in  need  of  bread,  and  coffins  scarcely  could 
be  had  to  put  away  the  dead.     The  pestilence  was 
upon  us  in  its  fury,  but  there  was  no  lawgiver,  as  of 
old,  to  send  one  forth,  with  burning  censer,  to  stand 
between  the  living  and  the  dead  to  stay  the  plague. 
The  atmosphere  wa.%  impregnated  with  the  poison 
from  pestilential  vapors  and  noxious  gases,  and  the 
gentle  breeze  that  cooled  the  heated  frame  brought 
death  in  its  embrace. 

It  wa.s  a  time  to  call  into  active  exercise  the  noblest 
traits  of  human  nature,  and  among  the  moral  heroes 
of  that   fearful    period   the  beloved  rector  of   St. 


.Lames  was  not  the  least  conspicuous.  True  to  him- 
self and  to  his  innate  sense  of  duty,  he  never  for  a  mo- 
ment wavered,  but  stood  manfidly  at  his  post,  and, 
undismayed  by  the  hoiTors  around  him,  and  regard- 
less of  consequences  to  himself,  could  lie  seen  at  all 
hours  visiting  the  sick,  supplying  them  with  such 
necessaries  as  could  be  obtained,  administering  the 
consolations  of  religion,  and  closing  the  eyes  of  many 
who  had  looked  their  last  upon  this  earth. 

Other  faithful  ministers  also  gave  evidence  of  their 
fidelity  during  that  dreadful  period.  The  Kev.  Mr. 
Pritchard,  of  the  Firet  Baptist  Church,  was  unremit- 
ting in  his  attentions  to  the  sick  and  needy,  and  fell 
a  victim  to  the  epidemic.  The  Rev.  A.  P.  Repiton. 
the  Rev.  R  E.  Terry,  of  St,  John's,  until  stricken, 
down  by  disease  and  compelled  to  leave  the  town;  the  •t. 
Rev.  Thomas  Murphy,  Roman  Catholic  priest,  were 
all  active  and  untiring  in  their  devotion  to  the  suffer- 
ing. Nor  .should  wc  omit  to  mention  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  who  illustrated 
by  their  actions  the  precepts  they  pi-ofess. 

Though  living  in  another  State  (S.  C),  and  utter 
strangei-s  to  our  jieople,  they  volunteered  their  sei- 
viccs,  and,  accompanied  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Corcorani 
came  into  our  midst,  and  were  most  active  in  works 
of  charity  and  love.  It  was  a  beautiful  exhibition  of 
Christian  kindness  and  Christian  sympathy — virtues 
which  elevate  and  adom  our  nature. 

There  was  death  in  the  hovel  and  death  in  the  hall ; 
men  stood  aghast  at  the  ravages  of  the  grim  desti'oyei- 


''  '■■■..  - ' 


if  u 


i :'.'.:. 


'li!:i 


H^ 


TO 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   JAMES'S   PARISH. 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PAEISH.' 


71 


■f ;- 


anil  llic  very  "  bolilosl  licld  his  breath."  Aiuidst  these , 
seoiies  of  torrcu'  anil  dismay  the  rector  of  St.  James- 
luovcil  eahiily  forward  on  his  eri'and.s  of  mercy,  min- 
istering to  all  without  distinction  of  creed,  bringing  re- 
lief to  the  wearied  body,  and  comforting  the  departing 
sjiirit  with  woi'ds  cif  consolation  and  of  hope,  until  at, 
''.'^■^tJ  length,  on  tlie  14tli  of  October,  strnck  by  tlie  dread: 
disease,  he  tottered  and  fell — fell  with  liis  harness  on, 
at  the  noblest  jihicc  wdicrc  man  can  fall,  in  the  fuithfni 
discharge  of  a  sublime  duty. 

'•  His  eve  was  not  dim,  nor  .his  natural  force 
abated."  So  died  Kev.  Kobcrt  Brent  Drnne,  IX  D.i 
for  twenty-live  years  the  lielovcd  rectfir  of  St' 
James's  Parish. 

Dr.  Diane  Nvas  burn  in  Prince  George  county, 
Jfaryland,  and  educated  at  Harvard  Univereity, 
CandM-idge,  graduating  with  distinction  in  his  class. 
It  was  during  liis  collegiate  coui'se  that  his  mind  be- 
came deeply  impressed  witli  the  truths  of  our  holy 
religion,  and  he  determined  to  dedicate  him.sclf  to  the 
service  of  his  Maker.  Upon  leaving  college,  be  ap- 
plied himself  to  the  preparation  necessary  for  tlic 
discharge  of  'JlfsC/p/cml  duties,  and  was  ordained 
to  the  niinistr\;^by  thcKight  Ilcv.  Philander  Chn.se. 
in  Washington  City.  We  have  not  l)een  able  to  ob- 
taiir  any  correct  data  in  regard  to  the  scenes  of  his, 
early  laboi-s,  but  while  in  charge  of  the  church  at; 
"  Hagerstown,  Md.,  he  accepted  the  call  from  St.  ' 
James's,  Wilmington,  wlicrc,  with  a  slight  interreg- 
num of   a  few  months    he   l^)ored   most   fai),hfu)ly 

d  -  .-.'>■..  ^       "    ■ 


lor  a  quarter  of  a  century,  when  he  passed  to  his 
rest 

The  relationship  existing  between  him  and  hia 
flock  was  like  that  of  a  father  of  a  family.  Chil- 
■drcn  whom  he  had  received  into  the  Church  in  holj' 
baptism  had  grown  up  around  him.  Their  little 
•ones  again  were  being  brought  into  the  Church,  and, 
in  blessing  them,  lie  felt  as  if  they  were  his  own. 
The  success  which  attended  his  ministrations  as  a 
pari.sh  priest  is  the  best  evidence  of  the  faithful  man- 
ner in  which  he  performed  the  duties  of  the  sacred 
office.  In  labors  he  was  abundant,  and  the  fruit  of 
those  labors  is  seen  in  the  prospeiity  of  the  parisli 
with  which  his  name  will  be  for  all  time  connected. 

He  was  a  man  of  portly  presence  and  great  dig- 
nity of  manner.  More  methodical  than  brilliant, 
more  argumentative  than  fanciful,  he  was  at  all  times 
impressive  and  frequently  eloquent.  As  a  pulpit 
■orator  he  was  distinguished  for  cogency  of  reasoning 
and  the  earnestness  with  which  he  enforced  the  truths 
he  inculcated.  His  style  was  clear,  vigorous  and 
forcible,  not  disdaining  ornament,  but  using  it  simply 
by  way  of  illustration.  He  was  a  laborious  student, 
a  man  of  decided  ability,  skilled  in  dialectics,  and 
remarkable  for  his  strong  practical  common  sense 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  world.  Like  all  men  of 
positive  character,  he  made  no  concealment  of  liis 
'opinions  on  matters  either  ecclesiastic  or  political. 
Hence,  when  the  war  between  the  States  broke 
out,  believing  that  the  cause  of  the  .South  was  just, 


\  \:iv 


)'.' 


k  ?,•■  '■' 
I  It  ■  , 


V 

\  . 

I 


•is  P'    ii 

ji-!''>  '■ . 


\ 


72 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH. 


be  did  not  liesitate  to  tlirow  the  weight  of  his  influ- 
ence in  licr  belKilf,  and  to  advocate  her  aiuse  with  all 
tlie  ardoi'  of  his  sanguine  temperament. 

He  was  courteous  and  affable,  not  given  to  levity 
but,  m  the  society  of  friends,  enjoyed  in  the  highest 
degree  the  charms  of  social  intercourse.  A  devoted 
pastor,  a  true  friend,  an  earnest  soldier  of  the  Cross 
and  a  Christian  gentleman  in  the  broadest  sense  of 
tlie  term. 

In  1840  he  received  a  call  to  Christ  Church,  Ea- 
leigh  and  again  in  1847  a  pressing  one  to  Ann.apolis, 
Maryland,  his  native  St.ite,  but  the  ties  that  bound 
Inm  to  bt.  James  were  too  near  his  heart,  and  could 
not  be  broken.     Both  were  declined. 

During  his  rectorship  the  present  church  of  St 
James,  an<l  that  of  St.  John,  were  erected.  He  took 
a  lively  imercst  in  tlie  latter,  and  by  counsel  and  ad- 
vice, and  liberal  contribution,  aide<l  materially  in 
canymg  forward  the  work  to  a  successful  comple- 
tion. But  It  was  arotmd  the  altar  of  St.  James  that 
his  tenderest  affections  clustered.  At  that  altar  he 
had  served  for  five  and  twenty  yeai^;  within  her 
sacred  w.ills  he  had  taught  his  peoj.le  the  blessed 
truths  of  our  most  holy  faith,  illustrating  by  .his  ex- 
ample  the  juirity  of  his  devotion  .ind  the  sincerity  of 
his  convictions.  Throughout  his  mini.sterial  life  he^ 
wa.s  always  consistent,  reliable  and  true;  his  voice 
never  gave  forth  an  uncertain  sound,  for  he  could  not 
be  influenced  either  by  the  f.anciful  theories  or  led 
astray  by  the  progi-essive  doctrines  of  the  present  a-e 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJtfES's  PAEISH.  73 

No  wonder,  therefore,  that  his  people  were  content 
to  follow  wherever  he  might  lead  ;  no  wonder,  there- 
fore, though  willing  hands  have  placed  a  marble 
tablet  m  the  Church,  near  that  altar  at  which  he 
served  so  long,  commemorative  of  his  virtues,  that 
his  proudest  monument  should  not  be  in  sculptured 
marble,  but  in  the  love  his  people  bore  him  livin-. 
and  the  gnef  with  which  they  mourned  him  dead 

fhe  following  proceedings  of  the  Vestry  at  their 
first  meeting  after  the  abatement  of  the  pestilenee  are 
mscrted  here  as  a  fitting  close  to  tliis  brief  notice  of 
tlieir  honored  rector. 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Vestry  of  St  James's  Parish, 
held  on  the  8th  day  of  December,  18'62,  the  followinn- 
resolutions  were  unanimously  adojrted  : 

''I^csolvcd  Th.at  in  this  first  meeting  of  the  Vestry 
held  .since  he  death  of  the  Eev.  Eobert  B.  Drane! 
U  D  their  late  honored  and  beloved  rector,  they  feel 
constrained,  before  atten.ling  to  any  other  duty  t<> 
record  their  deep  sense  of  the  bereavement  which 
S/  If  congregation  they  represent,  have  sus- 
tained m  the  removal  from  among  them  of  that 
eimnently  good,   and  wise,   and  devout,  and   useful 

''J^<^M,    That,    having    known    him    long,   and 

cZZ    ™.-^'"'  'H'^''  ^''^'  the  fullest  and  most  ' 
001  dial  testimony  to  his  remarkable  excellence  as  a 

^♦"^^1*""^"'  ^"'^'  "^^"^'^  "">  ''^s  a  minister  of 
winst  I  hat  he  was  judicious,  energetic,  kind,  firm, 
otuutinngzeal  and  immovable  steadfastness  in  the 
performance  of  his  hi^h  duties.  That,  having  lived 
amongst  us  for  near  thirty  years,  he  was  re|arded 


5  F-^^iK' 


74  SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAJVIES'S  PARISH. 

with  profoiuid  respect  by  the  whole  community, 
while  in  his  own  congregation  the  young  reverenced 
him  as  a  father,  and  tlie  old  honored  and  loved  liim 
as  a  wise,  sympathizing  and  affectionate  friend,  and 
all  looked  np  to  him  as  a  man  of  God,  earnestly  .and 
unfalteringly  seeking  to  point  out  to  them,  and  to 
lead  them  in  the  way  to,  a  better  and  eternal  world. 

"7it'.?o/c»/,  That  his  death  was  an  untimely,  but 
noble  and  appro)>riate  tcrmin.atlon  of  his  life.  He  died 
a.she  lived,  at  the  post  of  duty,  seeking  to  alle^^ato 
the  suffering's  and  to  soothe  tl'ie  sorrows  of  the  sick 
and  the  alUietcd  in  the  late  dreadful  pestilence  which 
lias  desolated  this  town;  caiTving  the  consol.ations  of 
the  Gospel  where  they  were  so  much  needed.  The 
Angel  of  God  found  him  at  his  proper  work,  and 
called  him  immediately,  we  doubt  not,  to  a  glorious 
reward. 

"  Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions  be  .sent 
to  ■  the  famil3-  of  Dr.  Drane,  and  that  the  Daily 
Journal,  iiewsiia]ier  of  this  town,  and  the  C/airch  In- 
telligencer, of  Ealeigh,  be  also  requested  to  publish 
them." 

In  compliance  with  the  earnest  and  unanimous  de- 
■sire  of  the  Vestry,  the  Eight  Rev.  Thomas  Atkinson, 
D.  D.,  consented,  in  December,  1862,  to  aecejjt  the 
rectorship  of  the  parish,  with  the  understanding  that 
it  was  not  to  interfere  with  his  oflicial  duties  to  the 
diocese,  and  that  he  should  have  the  privilege  of  ap- 
pointing his  a,s.«istant.  The  latter  part  of  this  ar- 
rangement was  carried  out  Ijy  the  appointment  of 
the  Re\'.  Alfred  A.  Watson,  in  March,  1863.  In  De-. 
cember,  1864,  the  Bishop  resigned  the  rectorship  of ' 
the  Parish,   and  the  Rev.  Mr.   Watson   was   unani-  ■ 


SKETCH  OP  ST.  JAJIES's  PARISH.  75 

■mously  elected  to  the  vacancy— a  position  which  he 
still  hohk  We  know  tliat  we  do  but  simple  ju.stice- 
to  the  feelings  of  the  parishioners  when  we  give 
utterance  to  the  prayer  that  his  days  "  may  be  long  in 
this  land." 

As  an  evidence  of  the  ajipreci-ation  of  the  services 
of  the  Bi.sho])  .as  rector  of  the  parish,  the  following 
resolutions,  jiassed  by  the  Vcstj-y,  in  accepting  hi's 
resignation,  which  wo  copy  from  the  records,  will  not 
be  ina])pro]>riate  : 

"  Resolved,  That  this  Vestry  dee]ily  regret  that  cir- 
curnstanccs  have  ari.sen,  and  are  likely  to  continue, 
such  as  to  induce  our  Right  Rev.  Paster  to  consider 
It  necessarj-  to  dissolve  his  connection  with  this  parish 
as  Its  rector. 

''Resolved,  That,  in  accepting  his  resignation,  we 
<lesu-e  to  place  on  recoi-d  an  expression  of  the  pro- 
found respect  and-  sincere  affection  which  are  enter- 
tained for  him  by  our.selves  and  the  whole  congrei-a- 
tipn,  and  of  our  gratitude  for  his  prompt  and  u'riself- 
ish  acceptance  of  the  rectoi-ship  when  vacated  two. 
years  ago  by  tho  death  of  our  former  honored  pastor. 

"  Jiesolved,  By  the  rector  and  Vestry  of  St  Jamas, 
tiuat,  notwithstanding  the  retirement 'of  the  Bishoj) 
from  the  rcctorshij)  of  St.  James,  they  earnestly 
dcsu'e  him  to  continue  in  connection  with  the  yjarLsl'i, 
<and  that,  therefore,  they  rcsjiectfully  request  him  to 
consider  and  make  St.  James  church  his  cathedral, 
so  far  as  may  not  conflict  with  the  rightful  claims  of 
tlie  rest  of  thedioccse,  or  the  constitution  or  canoas 
of  the  Church." 

In  1865  the  rector  was  authorized  to  engage  the 
ervicas  of  an  assistant,  which  position  was  tendered 


:4il^\i 


76 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   JAMES'S  PARISH. 


tlic  RcN'.  George  J\atter.^oM,  and  aeceirted  by  him. 
It  wa.'i  a  most  liai)p_v  combination  of  elements,  as 
evidcncc-l  in  tlie  lloui-isliintj  condition  of  the  parish 
Ai  Easter,  1S70,  the  Rev.  .Mr.  1'atter.son  resigne  1  the 
position  of  .assistant  minister  of  St  James,  and  ac- 
cepted a  call  to  tlie  rcctonsliip  of  St  Johns  Oliurcli 
Wdmmgton,  where  lie  still  labors,  to  the  satisfaction 
of  his  fl(x;k,  aiul  to  the  advancement  of  God's  king- 
dom on  earth.  .\fr.  Patterson  was  succeeds,  as  as- 
sistant minister  of  St  James,  after  a  short  interval, 
by  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Joyner,  in  the  year  1873,  but  he 
resigned  the  jHwition  in  1873,  on  account  of  the  deli- 
cate .state  of  his  health.  No  appointment  has  since 
been  made. 

We  liave  now  brouglit  our  narrative  down  to  the 
present  time.  The  condition  of  the  parish,  as  sliown 
m  the  j.arochial  reports,  is  most  gr.atifying  .and  en- 
couraging. It  heads  the  diocesan  list  in  the  number 
of  communicants,  and,  by  reference  t«  the  .scale  of 
as,scssments,  it  will  be  noticed  that  it  is  largely  in  ad- 
vance of  any  other  parish  in  the  diocese.  Under  the 
envelope  sy,stem  but  little  <lifficulty  is  experienced  in 
regard  to  its  finances. 

As  illn.strating  tlie  liberality  of  its  members  and 
as  a  matter  of  interest,  also,  in  other  respects,  we  ex- 
tract the  following  slatement  from  the  rqwrt  made 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Watson  to  the  Diocesan  Convention 
of  18fiH: 

"Previously  to  the  occupation  of  the  city  by  the 
U.  S.  Amy,  m  February,  1865,  I  had  obuiined  the 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES's  PAEISH.  77 

Bishop's  authority,  in  the  event  of  such  occupation, 
for  the  omission  of  the  prayer  for  the  President  of 
the  Confederate  States.  Ui)on  tfie  capture  of  the 
city,  however,  I  was  required  by  the  U.  S.  military 
authorities,  furthermore,  to  use  that  for  the  President 
of  the  United  States.  This  I  felt  I  h,ad  no  canonical 
right  to  do,  and  for  this  reason,  and  because  I  would, 
by  its  use,  have  made  myself  a  party  to  the  infrince- 
ment  of  the  liberty  of  the  Church  to  direct  her  own 
worehip,  I  refused  compliance.  The  keys  of  the 
church  were  then  seized  by  military  orders,  emanat- 
ing, I  believe,  from  Major-General  Schofield.  Sub- 
sequently the  church  was  .seized  by  order  of  Brif^adier- 
General  Joseph  R.  Hawley,*  for  a  military  hospital. 

"This  was  not  the  first  calamity  of  the  sort  in  the 
history  of  the  parish  church  of  St  James.  In  1780, 
during  the  occupation  of  Wilmington  by  the  British 
troops,  the  church  was  stripped  of  its  pews  and  fur- 
niture, and  conveited,  firet  into  a  hospital,  then  into 
a  blockhouse,  and  finally  into  a  riding  school  for 
Tarleton's  dragoons. 

"  In  1865  the  pews  were  again  torn  out  with  pick- 
axes. The  pastor  and  people  had  quietly,  however 
reluctantly,  submitted  to   the  change  of   authority. 

♦General  Howley  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  we  bavc  undor- 
rtood,  ,n  Roboson  oouuty.  His  parents  removed  to  Connecticut 
When  he  was  an  infant.  While  in  command  of  the  post  of  Wilming- 
too,  durmg  ihe  occupancjr  of  the  Federal  troops,  he  boaslin..!/  re- 
marked  that  Le  had  returned  to  his  nat.vo  Stale  to  enforce  correct 
princ.ples.  This  wanton  desecration  of  the  temple  of  God  was  cer- 
taml7,  au  apt  illustration  of  bis  idea  of  correct  principles 


11   li  i;  '  \fi- 


M 


m 


I'pV../ 

■,   ('.-•    !  i    ■ 


78 


SKETCH   OF  ST.  JAMES's  PAKISH. 


There  was  sufficient  room  elsewliere,  more  suitable 
for  hosjiital  pui-jioscs.  Oilier  hospitals  had  to  be 
emptiea  to  supply  even  half  the  beds  in  the  church, 
which  were,  indeed,  never  much  more  than  half 
filled. 

"  Though,  by  the  express  admission  of  General 
Ilawley,  I  hail  committed  no  overt  act  of  resistance 
to  the  authority  of  the  United  States  after  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  city,  yet,  ujion  the  gi-ounds  of  my  polit- 
ical opinion  and  suiijjosed  influence  with  my  congre- 
gation, I  was  ordered  to  jirejiare  to  leave  the  lines— 
a  hardship  which  was  iMaycd  by  the  courtesy  of  Gen- 
eral Ilawley,  but  RnaWy  prevented  only  by  the  rapidly 
clianging  fortunes  of  the  war. 

"  After  the  surrender  of  the  Confederate  forces, 
and  the  recistablishment  of  the  authority  of  the 
United  States  Government,  I  made  application  to 
the  Secretary  of  War  for  the  restoration  of  the 
church.  This  he  promised  upon  the  condition  of 
the  use  of  the  prayer  for  the  Pi'esident  of  the  United 
States— a  condition  with  which  I  was  then  prepared 
to  comply,  at  the  request  of  the  Bishop.  Meantime 
tlie^  efforts  of  the  Eev.  Mr.  Patterson,  who  was  sup- 
plying my  place  in  my  absence,  had  secured  the  same 
result  from  the  local  authorities.  But  the  church 
building  was  very  seriously  damaged.  An  estimate 
of  the  amount  necessary  for  its  repair  was  forwarded 
to  Washington,  with  an  apjilication  for  remuneration 
to  that  extent,  but  without  success.  The  congrega- 
■tion  thereby  was  heavily  taxed  at  a  time  when^they 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH.       79- 

could  ill  afford  it.  The  work  was,  however,  done, 
and  upon  the  second  Sunday  in  Advent,  1865,  the'- 
church  of  St.  James  was  reopened  for  public  wor- 
ship. 

"The  following  is  an  exhibition  of  the  receipts  and 
expenditures,  for  the  parish,  from  May,  1864,  to  the- 
capture  of  the  city  in  February,  1865— a  period  of' 
about  nine  months  and  a  half.  The  receipts,  in  Con- 
federate currency,  independent  of  pew  rents,  were : 

At  the  public  offertory, $14,677  04 

By  private  offering, 6,876  96 

$21,554  Oa 
Of  this  there  was  contributed  to — 

The  Contingent  and  Episcopal  Fund,    $1,200  00- 

Diocesan  Missiojis 6.33  33 

The  Eelief  Fund 4^058  00 

Army  objects  of  a  religious  cliaracter,  8,503  91 

Parochial  pui-poses 9  149  42 

Leaving  for  other  purposes 8,014  33 

From  the  capture  of  the  town,  in  February,  1865^ 
to  May  1,  1866— a  period  of  about  fourteen  montlis. 
and  a  half— the  receipts  in  United  States  currency,, 
independently  of  pew  rents,  were  : 

At  the  public  offertory $1,625  72 

.    By  private  offering 4,643  88 


Ji; 


$6,269  60 


m 


so 


SKETCH  OF  ST.  JAMES's   PAEISH. 


$350  00 
300  00 
106  46 

5,308  28 
204  86 


Of  this  was  contributed  to 

The  Contingent  and  Episcopal  Fund.. 

Diocesan  Missions 

The  Kehcf  Fund '.'.'..'.'.'.'.'.'."."  .'^ 

Parocliial  purposes 

Other  purposes 

"  In  explanation  of  the  contribution  for  parochial 
purposes  It  IS  well  to  ■nention,  that  by  the  liberality 
and  forethought  of  a  member  of  the  parish,  a  quantity 
of  cotton  was,  before  the  capture  of  the  city,  placed 
1.1  my  hands  for  the  relief  of  families  suffering  from 
the  elfects  of  the  war.  This,  by  the  i.itervention  of 
friends  at  the  North,  and  the  liberality  of  the  United 
States  Government,  was  protected,  and  (by  special 
orders  from  the  Secretaries  of  War  and  the  Treasury) 
shipped  under  my  direction,  and  to  my  own  con- 
signees,  at  a  time  when  other  shipments  of  cotton 
wei-e  prohibited  by  order  of  the  Commander-in-Chief 
The  rehef  afforded  by  thi.s  measure  can  scarcely  be 
€.x-aggerated.  A  contribution  of  $100  was  also  re- 
ceived through  Rev.  Dr.  Corcoran,  from  Arch- 
bishop Spalding  (R.  C),  of  Baltimore,  for  the  relief 
of  sufferers  by  the  war  in  my  parish." 

In  connection  with  this  sketch  of  the  Parish  of  St. 
James  it  is  not  only  just  but  eminently  proper  that 
we  should  mention  an  act  of  generosity  on  the  part  of 
one  of  it.s  members  :  In  1867,  a  deed  of  gift  from  Dr. 
A.  J.  DeRosset,  senior  warden  of  the  ]iarish  convey- 
ing a  square  of  land  known  as  No.  133  upor^  the  plot 
of  the  City  of  Wilmington,  with  all  the  improvements 


SKETOH  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH.  81 

thereon,  was  presented  to  the  W.ardcus  and  Vestry  of 
St.  James,  to  be  used  as  a  home  for  indigent  widows 
""d  orphan.s,  and  for  the  promotion  of  other  chari- 
table or  religious  objects.     It  was  an  act  of  genuine 
chanty-a  noble  offering  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
work  of  His  Church  in  this  pari.sh.     The  liberality  of 
others  aided  in  repairing  the    buildin-s,  and  fittin- 
them  for  their  intended  work.     A  school  house  wal 
added  in  1871  to  the  main  building.     The  institution 
IS  known  as  St.  James's  Home,  and  its  influence  for 
good  among  the  poor  of  the  parish,  and  of  the  town 
cannot  be  overestimated.     A  flourishing  .school  now 
immbenng  about  seventy  pupils,  is  admirably  con- 
ducted, under  the  supervision  of  the  rector,  and  by 
tlje  self-sacrificing  devotion  of  three  ladies  of  the  par- 
ish.    It  IS  a  charity  that  appeals  most  stronoly  to  the 
generous  sympathies  of  our  nature,  and  should   re- 
ceive, as  It  deserves,  the  most  liberal  encouragement 
find  support  f,-om  all  who  love  the  Church,  and  her 
uoly  teachings. 

The  number  of  communicants  reported  to  the  last 
convention  of  the  diocese  was  319.  The  parish  library 
consists  of  about  700  volumes,  many  of  them  valu- 
able standard  works  in  divinity  and  general  litera- 
ture. Si.x  persons,  natives  of  the  parisli,  have  been 
admitted  to  Holy  Orders.  The  whole  number  of 
registered  baptisms  since  1811,*  when  the  present 
records  commenced,  is  2,264.  504  couples  have  been 
united  in  holy  matrimony,  and  over  the  mortal  re- 

*Tbe  parish  reoorda  before  1811  have  been  loal. 
6 


Hi'.'- :,  K' 


S2  SKKTni   OF  tiT.  .TAMK.S'S  PAKISII. 

mains  of  1,003  jieisdns  the  fmicra!  solemnities  of  the 
Clinrcli  liavc  l)eeu  iiei-fonneil. 

The  following  named  gentlemen  constitute  the  Ves- 
try of  St.  James  at  the  present  time,  viz: 

Dr.  A.  J.  DeEosskt  ami  .1am ks  Andersox  {War- 
dcus),  A.  II.  V.\x  r.oKKKi.E.v,  Alfred  Martin, 
Col.  J.  G.  Burr,  Dr.  W.  G.  Thomas,  Col.  Robeut 
Strange,  Col.  W.  L.  DkKusskt,  Jamks  Dawson, 

JOHX    '..    B0.\TW1!I0]IT,  RoUERT  K.    CaLUEH,    ClaY- 
TOy  alLES. 

James  Axueuson,  SecreJanj. 
Col.  Wm.  L.  DeHosset,  VrcasM/'cr. 

The  snece.ssion   of  rectors  of  the  iiarisli  is  as  fol-/ 
lows:  -v.-  / 

Kov.  Mr.  Marsden  fi-om to  1-738 

Rev.  .Mr.  Afoir 1733  ^  1747-8 

lU>v.  Mj'.  JfeDowcll 170,0  to  17G3. 

Rev.  Mr.  Barrett 170.5  to  176f) 

Rev.  Mr.  Wills 170(3  ^  177^^ 

Rev.  Dr.  Hailing 1795  iq  ig,jg 

Rev.  Dr.  Empie LSH  to  1814 

Rev.  Dr.  Judd 1814  to  1816 

Rev.  Dr.  Empie 181G  to  1S27 

Rev.  i\rr.  jMott  from  Dec.  1827  to  June  1828 

Rev.  Mr.  Cainis 1829  to  1833 

Rev,  .Mr.  Davis I8S3  to  1836 

Rev.  Dr.  Drane 1830  to  1843 

Rev.  .Mr.  Wilmer 1843  to  1844 


SIvETCrr  OF  ST.  JAMES'S  PARISH. 


83 


^111 


1802  to  1804 
1863  to  1804 
1804  still  in  oflice 

1870  to  1871 
1872  to  1873 


Rev.  Geo.  Wilmci',  assistant..   1S43  to  1844 

Rev.  Dr.  Drano,  rector 1844  to  1862 

Right  Rev.  Thom.as  Atkin.son, 
rector 

Ro\-.  Dr.  Watson,  assistant . 
Rev.  Dr.  Watson,  rector. 

Hev.  Geo.  Patter.-ion,  a.ssi.stant 
liev.  J.  B.  I'urccll, 
Rev.  J.  R.  JoMici-, 

■  Many  and  v:.st  have  been  the  changes  in  the  parish 
j,smcc  the  corner  stone  of  the  church  ^^'as  laid  Cus 
foms  and  codes  of  ancient  date,  laws  regulating  so- 
ciety, long  settled  and  deemed  secure,  and  the  form 
of  government  itself,  have  all  l.cen  swq.t  away  but 
notwithstanding  the  convulsive  throes  of  revolutions 
and  the  obliteration  of  nearly  all  ^thc  old  lan.lmarks 
o  the  past,  that  church  still  lifts  its  turrets  to  the 
sk,es,st,l  firmly  stands,  the  visible  emblem  of  "the 
Clmreh  o  the  living  God,  the  pillar  and  ground  of 
the  truth. 

We  here  conclude  our  notices  of  this  interestin-r 
old  parish.  The  lesson  to  be  learned  from  this,  al 
froni  all  Church  history,  ,s  a  Icson  of  faith  in  the 
Author  of  all  truth,  the  Founder  and  Preserver  of  that 
rehgion  of  which  the  Church  is  the  ai)poi.,ted  keeper 
and  witness  m  the  world. 

The  foregoing  sketch,  brief  and  imperfect  as  it 'is 
will  not  have  been  written  in  vain  if  it  shall  lead  one 
churchman,  who  reads  the  records  of  the  trials  and 
deliverances  of  his  chui'ch,  to  utter  more  fervently 


1  {t'i'.i 

'SI  ■';  ' 
■    I'li  ::■■  :  *xff 

(.    (Ul>     !  I- 

<   «,l.-.  -  • 

•■'  !!■■■   :' ' 


84 


SKETCH   OF  ST.   .TAMES'.S   PARISH. 


those  words  ot  the  Litany,  "  Oli,  God.  wc  h.avc  hc.inl 
with  oui-  e.avs,  and  our  fatlicr.-;  have  told  n^:,  tlic  duIjIi; 
worlcs  wliich  thou  didst  in  their  da^-s,  and  in  tlie  old 
time  before  tliem."  "^^a\'  His  continual  ]iity  still 
eleanse  and  defend  Ilis  Chnreh,  and  may  the  eourse 
of  this  world  be  so  jieaccaljly  ordered  by  [lis  govern- 
ance that  His  Church  may  joyfully  serve  Ilini  iu  all 
godly  quietness,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.'' 


\ 


k.     <> 


I 
I 


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it'- 


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4Li6-t^/!^V' 


84 


SlvETCn   OF  ST.   .TAJIES'S  TARISH. 


those  words  of  the  Litany,  "  Oli,  God,  we  liave  henrd 
with  our  ears,  and  our  fallicr,-  have  told  us,  tin;  noble 
woi-ks  which  thou  didst  in  thciv  days,  and  in  llie  old 
time  befove  tliem."     "Af^v  llic   o.^..*: 


(JJ  /■  ^l 


I 


ol 
ai 

g' 


tyitK- 


.Mr-ti^ 


Rf     i^^^^w.. 


;:^-/^:| 


ii''!^^' 


rtll" 


S  !«»- 


.S4 


STvETCH  OF  ST.   .TAJIES'S  TARISir. 


those  wovdr:  of  the  Litniiy,  ■'  Oh,  God,  wc  have  heai'd 
witli  our  cars,  .ami  our  fathers  have  tohl  us,  the  noble 
works  wliieh  thou  didst  in  tlicir  days,  .and  in  tlie  ohl 
time  before  tlipm  "     "Afn,-  n;^.   o.,.^*: '   — •'■-   -'=" 


^*^*2^^*-o 


cJa 


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J.d. 


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